Abstract
BackgroundMedical students are vulnerable to test anxiety (TA), which impacts their professional lives and jeopardizes the optimal health care of their patients. The qualitative exploration of TA among medical students is crucial to understanding the problem. Hence, this study examined medical students’ insights into TA and their suggestions on how to reduce it.MethodsWe conducted a phenomenological study on medical students at a public university. We utilized focus group discussions (FGDs) to investigate their experiences of TA. The FGDs were transcribed verbatim, and these transcripts were analyzed using Atlas.ti software. The thematic analysis followed the recommended guidelines.ResultsSeven FGD sessions were conducted with 45 students. Three major themes emerged: the students, their academic resources, and the examiner. Each theme comprised mutually exclusive subthemes. The “students” theme was divided into negative vs. positive thoughts and self-negligence vs. self-care, “academic recources” into heavy curriculum vs. facilitative curricular aids, and “examiner” into criticism vs. feedback and strict vs. kind approaches.ConclusionThis study provides a solid foundation for policymakers and decision makers in medical education to improve current assessment practices and student well-being. Medical students will be able to significantly alter and reduce TA if they are provided with additional psychological support and their examiners are trained on how to deal with examinees.
Highlights
Test anxiety (TA) is integral to assessments
Macauley, Plummer [8] determined that 51% of female and 37.5% of male health care students have moderate to high test anxiety (TA)
The arrows on either side of the figure denote the two primary probe questions asked during the Focus group discussion (FGD)
Summary
Test anxiety (TA) is integral to assessments. It ranges from simple worry to debilitating anxiety, which interferes with the cognitive process. A low level of TA can motivate students to study and prepare for assessment, an extreme level of TA alters their physiological functions, psychological status, or both. These changes impair concentration, interrupt working memory, and hinder academic achievement. TA may result in chronic stress, which is associated with many adverse effects on wellbeing These include burnout, depression, poor academic performance, poor clinical performance, TA has a significant effect on health professions’ students. This study examined medical students’ insights into TA and their suggestions on how to reduce it
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