STUDENT ANXIETY

Part I.

Study anxiety: A havoc on youngsters.

What is study anxiety?

Anxiety is a common problem among children and is one of the largest groups of mental health problems especially during the period of childhood. This problem not only has an impact on developmental functioning but also has an impact on every day functioning including educational endeavors (Stallard, 2009). School students commonly experience anxiety issues related to studies and this phenomenon is called study anxiety (Cummings, Caporino & Kendall, 2004). This problem has been the focus of the attention of professionals around the world but unfortunately, it is not being addressed in Asian countries.

Understanding the anxiety

Anxiety is an emotional state of mind that includes having feelings of tension, distress thoughts along with physical changes like increased blood pressure, sweating, and nervousness. Children avoid studies and school activities to get rid of anxious feelings. Children may have many physical indications such as sweating, trembling, dizziness or a rapid heartbeat as well as a psychological disturbance in the form of intrusive and fearful thoughts. These feelings of anxiousness can interfere with the children's daily activities such as school performance, school work, and relationships (Spielberg, 1983). Furthermore, when a feeling of anxiousness persistently occurs in mind, a person cannot do what they want to do (Stallard, 2009).

The decline in academic performance

 Study anxiety is not only due to the learning issues, but it is due to habitual anxiety feelings and corresponding past negative experiences. Studies have confirmed that anxiety levels directly affect a student’s academic performance. For example, high levels of anxiety cause lower classroom performance and inwardly cause more anxiety (Hembree, 1988). Study anxiety is a condition that is associated with some particular situation which provokes anxious behavior and severely hampers the student’s academics (Zeidner, 1998). The concept of “study anxiety” is adapted from the general idea of anxiety and applied in the educational field, as is used to describe and explore the possibility of anxiety among students as well as its effects.

Symptoms

The psychological symptoms  experienced by students is the inability to maintain a flow of thoughts, feelings of helplessness, frightening behavior, and lack of interest in particularly difficult subjects (Spielberger, 1980). Furthermore, these children feel nervous before a class tutorial, freaking, going blank during an oral test, feeling helpless while doing homework, or lack of interest in that subject which is difficult to understand (Ruffins, 2007). There are also frequently associated physical symptoms, which include sweaty palms, accelerated breathing, a racing heartbeat, and nausea or general discomfort (Spielberger, 1980). Additionally feeling panic, uncontrolled breathing, irregular heartbeat, or a distressed stomach (Ruffins, 2007). The children are suffering from negative thinking patterns such as: “If I don’t pass this test, exam, and class I will not get a good job” and won’t be able to become an educated person. Due to study anxiety, children squirm in his/her seats and do not pay attention to classroom activities. Study anxiety also leady to truancy problems, breaking the school and classroom rules, avoiding the vocational activities, and taking too many sick leaves. Mostly school-going children break eye contact, low pitch of speech, avoid the connection with the teacher to hide their anxiousness (Child Mind Institution, 2018).