A Comparative Study of Classroom Anxiety & Coping Self-Efficacy in Adolescents in Indian Schools, in Association with School Counsellor

Abstract

Abstract: This study aimed to evaluate and study the differences in classroom anxiety and coping self-efficacy of adolescents (14–17-year-olds) in Indian schools, with & without a school counsellor. School counselling is a growing domain in Indian educational system & an essential aspect of the system, as it provides support to students to cope with academic, social and personal challenges. Adolescence is an age of transition and changes in dynamics of self. Emotional, vocational, social & psychological support from trained professionals in the school environment can be extremely helpful & beneficial at this age. A sample of N=142 adolescents participated in the study, providing self-report measures of classroom anxiety (Classroom Anxiety Measure) and coping self-efficacy (Coping Self-Efficacy Scale). The results revealed a significant negative correlation between classroom anxiety and coping self-efficacy (r = -0.619, p < 0.01). These findings suggest that as classroom anxiety increases, coping self-efficacy tends to decrease in adolescents. Additionally, the results of independent t-test for differences in the classroom anxiety and coping self-efficacy between the two groups also revealed that there was a significant difference in the classroom anxiety of the two groups, which was higher in the students of schools without a school counsellor. The coping selfefficacy scores however, showed no significant difference in between the two groups of adolescents. The implications of this study highlight the importance of addressing classroom anxiety and promoting coping self-efficacy among adolescents. Interventions aimed at enhancing coping skills and reducing anxiety in educational settings may contribute to improved wellbeing and academic performance.