Reducing Test Anxiety in High School Students

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Test Anxiety
• Interventions: Behavioral: Intervention

• Registration Number: NCT05481099
• Lead Sponsor: Agrupamento de Centros de Saúde de Dão Lafões

Brief Summary

School-age test anxiety is an important risk factor for school performance. Notwithstanding, few studies seek to identify which strategies are effective in improving test anxiety. This study aimed to test whether a cognitive-behavioural intervention for high school students could significantly reduce test anxiety.

A two-arm, cluster-randomized controlled, unblinded, parallel, trial was conducted. Participants were students of the 10th year of the Alves Martins High School in Viseu, Portugal. Students were randomized at class level to receive a cognitive-behavioural-based intervention combined with mindfulness, psychoeducation, and relaxation techniques, or to a control group with no intervention. Participants' anxiety levels were measured using the Test Anxiety Questionnaire. The analysis of the effect of the intervention was carried out on an intention-to-treat basis at the class level, using multilevel mixed effects models and Bayesian modelling.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2019-12-01
• Primary Completion: 2020-03-10
• Study Completion: 2020-03-10
• Status Verified: 2022-07
• Study First Submitted: 2022-07-27
• Study First Submitted QC: 2022-07-28
• Last Update Submitted: 2022-07-28
• Study First Posted: 2022-08-01
• Last Update Posted: 2022-08-01

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 519

Inclusion Criteria

• 10th grade students; both students and parents provide written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria

• cognitive inability to answer the questionnaire and/or to participate in the intervention

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Intervention	Intervention	Cognitive-behavioural-based intervention combined with mindfulness, psychoeducation, and relaxation techniques

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Test anxiety	12 weeks	Participants' test anxiety will be assessed using the Test Anxiety Questionnaire. Scores on the questionnaire range from 10 to 50 points. Higher scores mean higher anxiety levels.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Worry	12 weeks	Participants' worry will be assessed using the Worry subscale (items 1-5) of the Test Anxiety Questionnaire. Scores on the questionnaire range from 5 to 25 points. Higher scores mean higher worry-related anxiety levels.
Emotionality	12 weeks	Participants' emotionality will be assessed using the Emotionality subscale (items 6-10) of the Test Anxiety Questionnaire. Scores on the questionnaire range from 5 to 25 points. Higher scores mean higher emotionality-related anxiety levels.

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Alves Martins High School; 🇵🇹 Viseu, Portugal