High-stakes test anxiety among Taiwanese adolescents: a longitudinal study

Abstract

This study examined changes of test anxiety under the reform of the examination system in Taiwan. We sampled 46,361 Grade 9 students in Taiwan for 9 consecutive years starting from 2011 to collect data on their test anxiety, cram school attendance frequency, and academic achievement. Students’ test anxiety level was compared between three periods: Basic Competence Test (2011–2013), Comprehensive Assessment Program (CAP 1; 2014–2016), and CAP 2(2017–2019). The results indicated that first, during CAP 1, students’ test anxiety increased, but decreased in CAP 2. Second, the test anxiety level of students those with an upper-intermediate level of academic achievement, increased. Finally, the cram school attendance frequency didn’t differ among the three periods. We provide suggestions for countries with a similar social climate. For potentially controversial social issues, such as test anxiety, policy makers should develop corresponding measures in advance on the basis of empirical evidence.

Keywords:

• Academic achievement
• adolescents
• cram school attendance frequency
• the basic competence test
• the comprehensive assessment program
• test anxiety
• test policy

REVIEWING EDITOR:

• Arif H. Kabir
• School of Education, Deakin University School of Education
• Australia

SUBJECTS:

• Education Policy
• Assessment
• Educational Psychology
• School Psychology
• Secondary Education

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan under Grant [109-2511-H-008-013].

Notes on contributors

Tzu-Yang Chao

Tzu-Yang Chao, Ph. D., is an Assistant Professor in Graduate Institute of Learning and Instruction, National Central University. His research interests include measurement theory, students' life adjustment and emotions, teacher education, and the traits of well-performed teachers.

Yao-Ting Sung

Yao-Ting Sung, Ph. D., is a Chair Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling, National Taiwan Normal University. His research interests include computer assisted testing, psychological and educational testing, and career information analysis and application.

Fen-Lan Tseng

Fen-Lan Tseng, Ph. D., is the vice Deputy Director of the Research Center for Psychological and Educational Testing, National Taiwan Normal University. Her research interests include measurement theory, entrance examination system, item bank construction, and learning assessment.