Identifying Sources of Anxiety in an Introductory Online Undergraduate Chemistry Course

Abstract

Learning chemistry in an online environment may have multiple sources of anxiety for students, including chemistry anxiety, math anxiety, computer anxiety, and trait anxiety (personality attribute of proneness to experience anxiety). While previous research has explored relationships between math and chemistry anxiety in a traditional setting, no studies have explored these anxieties in the online modality. Survey data were collected using existing scales (some with minor modifications), with a response rate of 31%. The scales used in this study demonstrated strong reliability. Highest sources of anxiety for each scale were presented. The perceived ease of use scale score was used as the dependent variable. As perceived ease of use increased, chemistry anxiety decreased. Furthermore, as chemistry anxiety increased, math, computer, and trait anxiety increased. As computer anxiety increased, perceived ease of use decreased. However, math and trait anxiety did not demonstrate this association. Demographic variables did not influence relationships in this study. To confirm these relationships, future research will explore the influence of these anxieties in online chemistry on learner outcomes, including final course grade and course persistence. The results of this study offer new evidence regarding the influence of multiple sources of anxiety in learning undergraduate chemistry in an online setting. By integrating this knowledge with online course design best practices, educators can provide students with a lower-anxiety learning environment.