tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/exam-anxiety-19453/articlesexam anxiety – The Conversation2023-09-27T14:07:16Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2072592023-09-27T14:07:16Z2023-09-27T14:07:16ZThreats of failure motivate some students – but it’s not a technique to use on the whole class<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/550307/original/file-20230926-17-xaszft.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5360%2C3562&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/teenage-students-listening-male-teacher-classroom-769521343">Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>It is the start of a new academic year, and a fresh group of students will be beginning study towards their GCSEs. After two years, they will be taking exams with important consequences: the results can allow them to carry on in education or go on to certain careers. </p>
<p>Part of the work of teachers is to <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02643944.2018.1453858">encourage their students</a> to pay attention and fully engage in lessons so that they achieve the best grades possible. They might emphasise to them how important <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2215091920300018">GCSEs are for their future</a>. For example, teachers might point out how good grades can lead to access to college courses, apprenticeships, and the workplace. </p>
<p>And in dwelling on the importance of GCSEs, teachers may <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01443410.2012.659845">also use messages</a> that focus on the possible negative effects of failure. These include things like: “If you do not work hard, you will fail your GCSEs and you will not get into college.”</p>
<p>We <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fedu0000741">researched</a> <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2215091920300018">how students interpret</a> these motivational strategies from their teachers and found that while <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01443410.2012.659845">warnings of failure</a> are likely to encourage some pupils to work hard, it’s not a message that should be delivered to the whole class. </p>
<h2>Fear appeals</h2>
<p>Messages from teachers that focus on failure are known as “fear appeals”: they can create a strong fear of failure in students. Teachers use fear appeals more often when they believe that students will interpret the message <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11218-018-9448-8">as threatening</a> and when they believe their class are <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0742051X16304735?casa_token=gfqdJaJc1pIAAAAA:9UlZXHp5wWIuBjy5hZPt2zp7V1i_hGY6M0xacOCRqkZNS8aSGyvQBa_6iTAefumZkSoIKAo7M-c">less engaged</a>. The intention may be to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2215091920300018">shock students into engaging</a> in their studies.</p>
<p>Fear can be a powerful motivator. When a student believes that doing well in a test is important, and is <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11218-014-9249-7">optimistic about doing well</a>, a fear appeal – such as: “If you fail your GCSE, you will find it difficult to get a good job” – can be a good thing. It can <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fedu0000741">motivate students to work hard</a>. </p>
<p>We describe this as a student interpreting the message as a challenge. One GCSE student we worked with (in research that is yet to be published) said: “I don’t feel panicked about it at all and I feel quite confident in maths … it gives me motivation to work harder and like learn the topics more and thoroughly.”</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Stressed teenage girl doing homework" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/550561/original/file-20230927-15-829w0m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/550561/original/file-20230927-15-829w0m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/550561/original/file-20230927-15-829w0m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/550561/original/file-20230927-15-829w0m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/550561/original/file-20230927-15-829w0m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/550561/original/file-20230927-15-829w0m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/550561/original/file-20230927-15-829w0m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Fear appeals can encourage some students – but reduce motivation in others.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/stressed-biracial-teen-girl-student-doing-2210250729">Viorel Kurnosov/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>But other students, who also see exam results as very important, may <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11218-014-9249-7">lack confidence</a> that they will do well. For these students, fear appeals can trigger feelings of <a href="https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1348/2044-8279.002005">anxiety</a> and hopelessness. They can <a href="https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/bjep.12334">lose motivation</a>, procrastinate and worry. Ultimately, <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fedu0000741">their achievement is lower</a>. </p>
<p>We describe this as a student interpreting the message as a threat. As a <a href="https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1348/000709909X426130">GCSE student said</a>: “Every time a teacher tells me exams are near or if you fail you risk not getting a good job I get so scared and sometimes I get so scared and stressed I feel like crying.”</p>
<p>Other students simply disregard fear appeals. They <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11218-014-9249-7">may not care</a> about their exams, perhaps because they have already disengaged from their studies – or are so supremely confident they have no doubt they will succeed.</p>
<h2>Mixed messages</h2>
<p>This suggests that using the same message to encourage a whole class or year group could be counterproductive. For students who feel confident in their abilities, fear appeals could be the right type of motivational message. </p>
<p>But as it is difficult for teachers to <a href="https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1348/000709910X504500?casa_token=ZGc60lQaCzkAAAAA%3AhUm-ZNOGcOwYOXHTYroPjBkpWLe6MYK-qAjnCWFx2yPiKm_4C6eVJCygGndt18iqbJeE-tIqbfKP6A">accurately judge</a> their students’ private self-perceptions, it would be risky to advise the use of fear appeals on this basis. Students’ levels of belief in their competence also <a href="https://srcd.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1467-8624.00421">vary over time</a>, and so fear appeals could be appropriate at one time but not another.</p>
<p>One option, of course, would be to switch a fear appeal to a more positive message, such as: “If you work hard, you will get the grades you need for college.” But our research shows that students respond to messages like this in a <a href="https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bjep.12117">similar way to fear appeals</a>. Success-focused messages are still pressuring messages. </p>
<p>A more <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00220973.2018.1448745">useful approach</a> could be to increase the chance that students interpret messages like this as a challenge rather than a threat. One <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09571730701315832">way to do this</a> is to give students a greater feeling of control over their learning and exams. This can be done, for example, by helping students reflect on the ways they learn the content needed for the exam. <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09571730701315832">Teacher feedback</a> on the strategies that students use in class can increase their sense of control and their understanding that they can improve their learning techniques.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/207259/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Messages from teachers like ‘if you do not work hard, you will fail your GCSEs and you will not get into college’ are known as fear appeals.Laura Nicholson, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, Edge Hill UniversityDavid Putwain, Professor in Education, Liverpool John Moores UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2056872023-05-22T11:56:10Z2023-05-22T11:56:10ZGCSEs: what to say and what to avoid if you want to help teenagers combat exam anxiety<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/526865/original/file-20230517-21-nc96za.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C7%2C5251%2C3487&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/anxious-teenage-student-sitting-examination-school-774167662">Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>GCSE exams <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zw27tcw">are under way</a> and many students will be <a href="https://bera-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1080/713651566">feeling the pressure</a> to get the grades they need to pursue their education or employment goals. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03055698.2014.953914">They may be experiencing</a> <a href="https://www.bps.org.uk/psychologist/we-should-just-be-told-try-our-best">exam anxiety</a>, which is linked to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165032717303683">lower performance in exams</a> and <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10608-021-10211-x">lower wellbeing</a>.</p>
<p>Teachers and parents want students to perform at their best and be emotionally well. So it’s useful to know there are ways to encourage students and ease anxiety during this time – and things to avoid saying.</p>
<p>My colleagues and I have carried out research on the different things that teachers say to students about GCSE exams. We have found that the language used is important, and how students perceive communication about GCSEs has <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2215091920300018?via%3Dihub">important consequences</a>.</p>
<h2>What teachers say matters</h2>
<p>Some students react badly to communication about GCSE exams when the messages are focused on the potential negative outcomes. For example, a teacher might say: “If you do not work hard, you will not get into college.” When teachers emphasise the risk of failing or not getting the grades they need, some students feel threatened, and this <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1041608010001640">increases their anxiety</a> and feelings of hopelessness about the exams. </p>
<p>Students who react in this way to failure-focussed messages usually value their GCSEs but <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11218-014-9249-7">do not feel capable</a> of getting the results they need. After hearing messages like this, students may withdraw from study-related activities both <a href="https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/bjep.12334">emotionally</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0361476X15000594">behaviourally</a>, meaning that, for instance, they might not try hard in class. Research has found that they ultimately receive <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Fedu0000741">lower GCSE grades</a>. </p>
<p>Fortunately, teachers also have the power to encourage their students with their communications about exams. <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2530380521000228">Emphasising the possible positive outcomes</a> that could result from exams, such as “If you work hard, you will get the grades you need” is a more beneficial route and might encourage students to be proactive in their preparation strategies.</p>
<p>In 2023, GCSE exams run until June 21 – so students will be revising for some time yet. In light of our findings, if you are a parent trying to encourage your teenager to study, you could try pointing out the benefits of working hard, rather than the outcomes of failure.</p>
<h2>Helping students to cope</h2>
<p>When students suffer from exam anxiety, they <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165032717303683">perform worse</a> in exams, compared to students of the same ability. One explanation for this, supported by research, is that anxiety and thoughts of failure distract the student and place an additional <a href="https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bjop.12009">load on their working memory</a> during their exam. In effect, this uses up the cognitive capacity that could otherwise be used for remembering the required information.</p>
<p>If your teenager holds unrealistic and negative self-beliefs, such as “I will fail no matter how hard I try”, simply telling them that everything will be okay is not particularly helpful. Instead, you could point out that if things do go wrong, they will be able to cope and respond effectively.</p>
<p>There are options available if they do not do as well as they hoped – for instance, they could retake their exams at a later date and gain some work experience in the meantime.</p>
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<img alt="Girl revising for exams in room" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/526866/original/file-20230517-4617-42nqdm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/526866/original/file-20230517-4617-42nqdm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526866/original/file-20230517-4617-42nqdm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526866/original/file-20230517-4617-42nqdm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526866/original/file-20230517-4617-42nqdm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526866/original/file-20230517-4617-42nqdm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526866/original/file-20230517-4617-42nqdm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Time to focus.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/young-focused-school-college-girl-pen-2243491889">Raushan_films/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>You can also help your teenager to challenge their negative beliefs. You could ask them what evidence they have to support the beliefs and to think about times in the past when they succeeded rather than failed. If they continue to cite previous failures, you could point out that this may be because they have only been thinking about information that is <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0079742108603151">consistent with their beliefs</a>. Encourage them to replace their beliefs with more positive statements, such as: “Chances are I probably won’t fail”. This <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2F0022-006X.46.1.32">has been shown</a> to reduce exam anxiety.</p>
<p>When people have anxiety, they try to avoid the things that make them anxious – in this case, exams. This avoidance tendency can manifest in procrastination about revising and making less effort out of a fear of failure. This further <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-psychologists-and-counsellors-in-schools/article/abs/academic-procrastination-and-test-anxiety-a-crosslagged-panel-analysis/8825B16F00D505E9327CE07435D466BF">increases exam anxiety</a>. </p>
<p>One way to help could be to encourage your teenager to reflect on their revision and preparation strategy. If they believe their approach to be <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959475204000714">ineffective</a>, they could be helped to try a different method. When students <a href="https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1348/000709909X466082">feel more confident</a> in their knowledge, their worries about exams reduce.</p>
<p>Helping your teenager to learn relaxation techniques such as <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/mental-health/self-help/guides-tools-and-activities/breathing-exercises-for-stress/#:%7E:text=Whatever%20position%20you%27re%20in,Breathe%20in%20gently%20and%20regularly.">breathing exercises</a>, <a href="https://www.utoledo.edu/studentaffairs/counseling/anxietytoolbox/pmr.html">muscle relaxation</a> and <a href="https://www.rbht.nhs.uk/our-services/clinical_support/rehabilitation-and-therapies/psychological-medicine/relaxation-exercises">guided visualisation</a> could also help to reduce the physiological symptoms of anxiety directly before, and during, the exam.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02667363.2014.964392">Research has found</a> that using the above strategies is <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29094957/">effective in reducing exam anxiety</a> in GCSE students. </p>
<p>A further, very simple approach could be to ask students who are anxious about exams to <a href="https://www.bps.org.uk/psychologist/we-should-just-be-told-try-our-best">write down</a> their thoughts and feelings about the exam just before they take it. This might help to get distracting thoughts and emotions out of their minds. Writing worries down like this has been shown to <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10503300701691664">reduce distress</a>, as well as <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/40986499">increase performance in exams</a> in people who are highly anxious.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205687/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Laura Nicholson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Positive messages and relaxation techniques can help.Laura Nicholson, Senior Lecturer in Psychology, Edge Hill UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2013712023-03-14T19:06:31Z2023-03-14T19:06:31ZNAPLAN results inform schools, parents and policy. But too many kids miss the tests altogether<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/515027/original/file-20230313-20-dv146l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C6000%2C3997&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Today the NAPLAN testing window starts for more than a million students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. Over the next nine days students will sit literacy and numeracy tests which are designed to measure their reading, writing, numeracy, grammar, punctuation and spelling. </p>
<p>Education decision makers will be holding their breath about how many students turn up for NAPLAN. Last year saw the <a href="https://www.edresearch.edu.au/resources/naplan-participation-who-missing-tests-and-why-it-matters">steepest declines</a> on record in secondary school student participation. </p>
<p>This is an issue because NAPLAN results help inform parents, teachers, schools and education authorities about student learning and can influence <a href="https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/school-agreement#report">decisions about policies</a>, resources and additional supports for students. Declining NAPLAN participation may result in decisions being based on incomplete data. </p>
<p>In our <a href="https://www.edresearch.edu.au/resources/naplan-participation-who-missing-tests-and-why-it-matters">new paper</a> for the Australian Education Research Organisation, we look at who is not sitting the tests and why that matters.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/maths-anxiety-is-a-real-thing-here-are-3-ways-to-help-your-child-cope-200822">'Maths anxiety' is a real thing. Here are 3 ways to help your child cope</a>
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<h2>Who is not sitting the tests?</h2>
<p>While primary school student participation in NAPLAN has been steady at about 95% since 2014, secondary student participation has been in persistent decline. Last year only 87% of Year 9 students sat the tests. </p>
<p>A sharper decline in participation in 2022 <a href="https://acara.edu.au/reporting/national-report-on-schooling-in-australia/national-report-on-schooling-in-australia-data-portal/student-attendance">was partly due to</a> flooding in regions across Australia, high rates of illness and COVID-19 isolation requirements – circumstances we hope will not be repeated. It is the long-term decline in NAPLAN participation in secondary schools that needs attention. </p>
<p>The participation rate is alarmingly low for some groups of students. The figure below shows 79% of Year 9 students living in remote Australia sat NAPLAN last year. First Nations students and students from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds also had low participation rates in 2022; 66% and 75% respectively. </p>
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<p>Our analysis reveals low-performing students are also less likely to participate in the tests. Students who performed poorly in NAPLAN in Year 7 were nearly five times more likely to miss the Year 9 tests than high-performing students. These findings were replicated for primary students.</p>
<p>Students who are educationally at risk need the best decisions from schools and education authorities. If NAPLAN participation rates are low for these smaller populations, the data is less reliable and the ability to make informed decisions may be compromised. </p>
<h2>Why aren’t students sitting the tests?</h2>
<p>Students do not sit NAPLAN for three official reasons: they may be exempt from taking the tests, withdrawn by their parents, or absent on the day. </p>
<p>The main reason for the long-term decline in NAPLAN participation is that more parents have been withdrawing their children from the tests. In 2022 over 11,000 Year 9 students didn’t sit the writing test because they had been withdrawn from it.</p>
<p>Being absent is also a contributing factor in the decline in participation; more so for secondary students than primary. In 2022, more Year 9 students than usual were absent from the writing test (in total over 28,600). </p>
<iframe src="https://flo.uri.sh/visualisation/13049784/embed" title="Interactive or visual content" class="flourish-embed-iframe" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" style="width:100%;height:600px;" sandbox="allow-same-origin allow-forms allow-scripts allow-downloads allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
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<p>There are many reasons students are absent and withdrawn from NAPLAN. Parents who are worried about how their child may be affected by taking the tests and <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-parents-should-and-shouldnt-say-when-talking-to-their-child-about-naplan-results-189636">receiving results</a> may choose to keep them at home or formally withdraw them from the tests. Anecdotally there have also been <a href="https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/schools-can-cheat-naplan-exams/news-story/8160b68c1e79ce869538913e730cdad4">reports</a> of schools asking low performing students to stay home on testing days, so they don’t “drag down” school averages.</p>
<p>On the positive side, our analysis showed Year 9 students with language backgrounds other than English participated in higher proportions than average (92% compared to 87%). This suggests cultural differences and family attitudes to education and testing might play an important role in participation. </p>
<h2>Why is high NAPLAN participation important?</h2>
<p>NAPLAN data is used by education authorities to <a href="https://theconversation.com/five-things-we-wouldnt-know-without-naplan-94286">better understand the learning progress of all Australian students</a> to inform system-wide policies and support.</p>
<p>It also helps schools, systems and sectors to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of educational approaches, and identifies schools which need more support. </p>
<p>For example, <a href="https://www.theeducatoronline.com/k12/news/writing-the-next-chapter-in-student-learning/281525">in NSW</a>, NAPLAN data has been used to understand whether a new teaching role and giving students more practice time have been effective in improving students’ writing skills.</p>
<p>In Victoria, <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/naplan-starts-this-week-here-s-what-the-changes-mean-for-students-and-parents-20230312-p5crfr.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_national">Brandon Park Primary School</a> used its NAPLAN results to inform a whole school change to its teaching of reading, which brought remarkable success. </p>
<p>Given the benefits that good use of NAPLAN data can bring, it is critical the results are representative of the student groups being tested. </p>
<p>While the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority estimates data for withdrawn and absent students, our analysis suggests student proficiency is likely to be overestimated.</p>
<p>That’s because students not sitting the test are more likely to be lower-performing students from their respective demographic groups. Real data is always better than estimates.</p>
<h2>What now?</h2>
<p>The Australian <a href="https://www.education.gov.au/alice-springs-mparntwe-education-declaration">education system</a> is meant to be about achieving equitable outcomes from education for all students.</p>
<p>Equity is something we should all expect and support. </p>
<p>To achieve it, we need accurate information about student progress on a national scale. NAPLAN is meant to provide that information, so we should support and encourage students to turn up for the tests and try their best. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-avoid-annoying-your-kids-and-getting-stressed-by-proxy-during-exam-season-200719">How to avoid annoying your kids and getting 'stressed by proxy' during exam season</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/201371/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lucy Lu is the Senior Manager, Analytics and Strategic Projects for the Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO). </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Olivia Groves is a Principal Researcher for the Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO).</span></em></p>Our analysis reveals the participation rate is alarmingly low for some groups of students, such as First Nations kids and students from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds.Lucy Lu, Adjunct Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of SydneyOlivia Groves, Adjunct Research Fellow, Curtin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1702112021-10-24T18:59:33Z2021-10-24T18:59:33Z40% of year 12s suffer high anxiety. At exam time, here’s what parents can do to help<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/427448/original/file-20211020-13-195gkgh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C6102%2C4059&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Parents can feel hopeless when their children experience the huge emotional burden that comes with final-year exams. Sometimes our best intentions may actually make our children (and ourselves) feel worse. <a href="https://theconversation.com/study-confirms-hsc-exams-source-of-major-stress-to-adolescents-46812">Previous research</a> has found more than 40% of year 12 students experience anxiety symptoms high enough to be of clinical concern. </p>
<p>In 2021, varying degrees of COVID-19 lockdowns have added an extra stress layer for everyone, not least young people feeling disconnected from their friends and schools. The following four strategies will help parents support their children through the coming weeks of year 12 exams. </p>
<h2>1. Help teens name their feelings</h2>
<p>“Name it to tame it” is a parenting strategy developed by <a href="https://drdansiegel.com/book/brainstorm/">psychiatrist Dan Siegel</a>. This approach is about helping children name what they are feeling as the first step towards helping them reduce the impact of that emotion. </p>
<p>A parent’s automatic response like “stop stressing, you’re smart so you’ll be fine” can actually cause a child to feel worse as their emotional experience is not being validated. By naming what the feeling is (even if guessing), a parent can begin to support and understand the young person. </p>
<p>When a parent notices their child becoming frustrated with study, they could say something like “Studying can be really frustrating. I bet you wish the exams were over.” Sometimes the child can then breathe a sigh of relief that the important adult in their life sees their struggle, understands their distress, and is able to be there with them in that tough moment. </p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZcDLzppD4Jc?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">‘Name it to tame it’: Dr Dan Siegel explains the strategy.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>2. Offer helpful choices</h2>
<p>Once a child feels their emotional experiences are being validated and acknowledged, the next step could be to offer some choices to help them feel less distressed. Offering choices is important because we want to give the young person some choice and control over something in their lives. This can counter-balance feelings of having no power, control or choice. </p>
<p>So, rather than saying “I’ll get you some water to help you feel better”, a parent could make a slight change to the question by asking: “Hey, I could get you some water, or something to eat? Or you could take a break and have a snack with me in the kitchen. What would help you right now?” </p>
<h2>3. Support and guide perspective-taking</h2>
<p>When anyone, regardless of age, is going through a stressful time, our unhelpful thinking patterns usually become strong and powerful. For teenagers completing end-of-school exams, it is likely certain thought patterns are contributing to their feelings of stress, anxiety, hopelessness and helplessness. </p>
<p>Confirmation bias, for example, is when a person only pays attention to what they believe. Subconsciously, they ignore any information that does not align with that belief. A common belief for students is “I’m going to fail”. Talking to the young person about other perspectives may help them see the situation from other perspectives. </p>
<p>A common request psychologists make in these situations is: “Tell me all of the evidence that your belief you’re going to fail might be true.” Then they ask: “Now tell me all of the evidence that your belief you’re going to fail might not be true.” </p>
<p>On the whole, reality exists somewhere in between these two answers. It may seem counter-intuitive to encourage a young person to talk about all of the reasons they think they will fail, but they are thinking these thoughts in their heads anyway. The important piece is to counter-balance their view with other views. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Piece of paper with words 'You can't do it' torn in two so it becomes 'You can do it'" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/427456/original/file-20211020-23-gm48nr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/427456/original/file-20211020-23-gm48nr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427456/original/file-20211020-23-gm48nr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427456/original/file-20211020-23-gm48nr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427456/original/file-20211020-23-gm48nr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427456/original/file-20211020-23-gm48nr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/427456/original/file-20211020-23-gm48nr.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Ask your child to think of all the evidence for their belief that they will fail. Then balance that by asking them to think of all the evidence for why their belief might be wrong.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>If the young person is struggling to come up with any evidence they might not fail, the parent can offer some ideas. Again, remember this is about empowering the young person, not telling them what they should think (such as “Don’t be ridiculous, you won’t fail”). It’s about helping them with perspective-taking in times of stress, rather than dismissing their belief because it makes us feel uncomfortable.</p>
<h2>4. Self-compassion</h2>
<p>Parenting is hard. Studying and sitting exams is hard. It is important to remind parents that the emotional struggles they experience and the big feelings their children experience are a part of life and a part of what everyone across the world goes through. </p>
<p>We can choose to be kind to ourselves in these moments of struggle and stress and think about giving ourselves the compassion we need. For parents and children alike, this can be as simple as listening to yourself like you would listen to a good friend. Respond to your own stress and emotional pain as you would respond if your close friend was feeling it. </p>
<p>We tend to be very critical and harsh with ourselves, but kind and compassionate to others. So next time as a parent you are thinking “I’m such a bad parent, my child is so stressed, I can’t help them, I’m useless”, try to find some words of kindness for yourself. Something like “Wow, this is really tough. I’m doing the best I can. I can get through this.”</p>
<p>Dr Kristin Neff is a leader in self-compassion research and practice and has many useful resources on <a href="https://self-compassion.org/">her website</a>.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8lnU4fZ3eiM?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Dr Kristin Neff explains how to practise self-compassion.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Naming feelings, offering choices, perspective-taking and self-compassion can help instil hope for parents and children as they navigate end-of-school exams across Australia. </p>
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<p><em>If this article has raised issues for you or your child, you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Kids Helpline on 1800 55 1800.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/170211/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Eimear Quigley does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Parents can support their children through the coming weeks of year 12 exams by using four strategies.Eimear Quigley, Senior Lecturer and Director, Psychological Services Centre, Edith Cowan UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1214842019-08-19T11:11:28Z2019-08-19T11:11:28Z5 tips for college students to avoid burnout<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/288081/original/file-20190814-136186-r3wpti.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Keeping sight of the reasons you're in college helps stave off burnout. </span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/sleepy-college-student-bushy-hair-dark-674836168?src=gJlINpdPE4ZkMbqUAOigfQ-1-13">WAYHOME studio/Shutterstock.com</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Burnout is a <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/burnout">stress-related state of exhaustion</a> and often leads to feelings of isolation, low accomplishment and even depression. Although research has long shown that burnout <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1985-24012-001">affects employees</a>, we now know burnout <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/10376178.2016.1213648">also affects students</a>. </p>
<p>As a <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=KCjXN18AAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">researcher</a> who specializes in identifying strategies to help college students get through their first year of college, I’d like to offer a few tips to help students avoid burnout.</p>
<h2>1. Start with why</h2>
<p>Intrinsic motivation – the idea that learning is naturally satisfying – is associated with <a href="https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ872339">lower levels of academic burnout</a> and with <a href="https://doi.org/10.3200/JOER.97.3.159-168">higher academic achievement</a>. The most effective way of preventing burnout is being sure you know why you’re in college to begin with. Build your internal motivation by identifying the skills you need to develop and the experiences you want to have while you are in college. </p>
<h2>2. Visualize your work and progress</h2>
<p>Use the syllabus and other resources to get a full picture of the projects you have and their deadlines. Use to-do lists, calendars and apps to remind you of the work you have to accomplish, and celebrate small wins along the way.</p>
<h2>3. Work a little every day</h2>
<p>High-impact learning requires the investment of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00221546.2008.11772116">time and effort</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2004.06.001">deliberate practice and self-regulation</a>. However, the majority of incoming college students <a href="https://www.heri.ucla.edu/monographs/TheAmericanFreshman2016.pdf">spent less than 10 hours per week studying</a> in high school and need to learn to put in a more sustained effort. Moreover, the study practices that college students use most commonly – highlighting or underlining notes, reading material over and over, and summarizing class content – are the <a href="https://www.psychologicalscience.org/publications/journals/pspi/learning-techniques.html">least effective</a>. </p>
<p>Take advantage of the learning strategies that have proven to be most effective. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogpsych.2010.05.004">Spread your study time out</a> over days rather than cramming. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2010.09.003">Actively retrieve</a> the material you are learning using flashcards or practice tests, rather than passively reading and rereading information. </p>
<h2>4. Take breaks regularly</h2>
<p>Since burnout is related to stress, it is important to manage stress carefully. <a href="https://doi.org/10.2147/NSS.S132078">Exercise</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eatbeh.2016.06.008">proper nutrition</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3150158/">social interaction</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2016.1269111">quality sleep</a> are each part of a productive coping strategy. In addition, breaks help <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2010.12.007">restore your focus</a> on your overarching goals, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/a0036577">increase creativity</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2018.12.007">improve memory formation</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/288239/original/file-20190815-136199-12wha8b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/288239/original/file-20190815-136199-12wha8b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/288239/original/file-20190815-136199-12wha8b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/288239/original/file-20190815-136199-12wha8b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/288239/original/file-20190815-136199-12wha8b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/288239/original/file-20190815-136199-12wha8b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/288239/original/file-20190815-136199-12wha8b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/288239/original/file-20190815-136199-12wha8b.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Short breaks can ease the stress of college studies.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector/desktop-computer-stair-graduation-capthe-door-1185117664?src=wTJMr0C1zSwmTDsALVggDQ-1-12">DGLimages/Shutterstock.com</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>5. Keep the end in mind</h2>
<p>Parts of college are simply stressful and difficult. But in the end, graduation from college remains <a href="https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED540267">economically beneficial</a>. Additionally, the <a href="https://scholar.harvard.edu/roychan/publications/understanding-purpose-higher-education-analysis-economic-and-social-benefits">knowledge and skills</a> you gain while in college have lasting and wide-ranging benefits in your work and personal life – like <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK98742/">living longer</a>, <a href="https://cew.georgetown.edu/wp-content/uploads/Economic-Value-of-College-Majors-Full-Report-v2.compressed.pdf">making more money</a> and <a href="https://www.stlouisfed.org/publications/in-the-balance/2019/children-of-college-graduates">passing those benefits on to your children</a>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/121484/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ryan Korstange does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Going to college can be a stressful experience that takes a toll on students’ health and well-being. A higher education specialist offers tips to keep the stress at bay.Ryan Korstange, Assistant Professor of University Studies, Middle Tennessee State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/674452016-10-29T22:52:02Z2016-10-29T22:52:02ZHow to overcome exam anxiety<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/143390/original/image-20161027-11278-19pazks.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Do you often think you are going to fail an exam?</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">from www.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>In our five-part series, <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/making-sense-of-exams-32567">Making Sense of Exams</a>, we’ll discuss the purpose of exams, whether they can be done online, overcoming exam anxiety, and effective revision techniques.</em></p>
<hr>
<p>Do you feel like your mind freezes during exams? Do you find yourself thinking “I really can’t do this”? Does your heart race fast or do you find it hard to breathe during exams? </p>
<p>Most people feel anxious when taking an exam, but research <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1540-4781.1991.tb05378.x/abstract">shows</a> that some people are more likely to suffer from exam anxiety than others. So why is this? And what can you do to calm your nerves?</p>
<h2>What is exam anxiety?</h2>
<p>Exam anxiety is the experience of feeling an intense moment of fear or panic before and/or during an exam or assessment.</p>
<p>There are two types of anxiety: </p>
<ul>
<li><p>Low anxiety: students who experience low anxiety may feel a little nervous about an upcoming exam but are still able to focus their attention on their studies or the questions asked during the assessment. Usually low anxiety students are not struck with intrusive thoughts or feel debilitated by the exam. </p></li>
<li><p>High anxiety: students who experience high anxiety show an immediate anxiety reaction when exposed to the feared test situation. They attempt to avoid the situation by not showing up to the exam, or may endure it but with extreme fear. High anxiety can tip some into a sense of panic: “I just really can’t do this!”</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Students with either high or low anxiety can respond to tests in <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=8JjlCAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA317&dq=test+exam+anxiety&ots=5RZpGxuk0M&sig=2P90aVEfXkpdy87CjzPmQtwFcMY#v=onepage&q&f=false">different ways</a>. But research <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=NVYFPAziXKMC&oi=fnd&pg=PA113&dq=anxiety+can+help+with+performance+in+an+exam&ots=ogf8sQhmDn&sig=FV5-UsvwWkoTrvB-W25TqofH9po#v=onepage&q=anxiety%20can%20help%20with%20performance%20in%20an%20exam&f=false">shows</a> that managing anxiety effectively can actually help with exam performance.</p>
<p>The challenge is to recognise when your anxiety has increased past an optimal level so that it starts to impact your ability to complete the exam - this is a high level of anxiety. </p>
<p>Some physical responses of high anxiety include a speeding heart, damp hands, shortness or rapid breath, and feeling queasy. </p>
<p>The physical response is usually experienced in high levels of anxiety when the “fight or flight” response is triggered. This is how our bodies respond to a perceived threat – and while uncomfortable, it is not harmful.</p>
<h2>When anxiety is (and isn’t) useful</h2>
<p>Anxiety can be useful in certain situations - for example, if you are in danger ( jumping out of the way of a car). It can also help to increase our attention to the threatening event and improve our response. </p>
<p>But it is not so helpful when the threat we are faced with is cognitive, like an exam. </p>
<p>The thoughts involved in exam anxiety usually include <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=8JjlCAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA317&dq=test+exam+anxiety&ots=5RZpGxuk0M&sig=2P90aVEfXkpdy87CjzPmQtwFcMY#v=onepage&q&f=false">negative thinking about performance</a> (also known as worry) and/or the physical reaction to thinking about the upcoming exam: “I’m going to fail”, “I quit”, “My heart is leaping out of my chest and I can’t focus.” </p>
<h2>Impact of high anxiety on performance</h2>
<p><a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=8JjlCAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA317&dq=test+exam+anxiety&ots=5RZpGxuk0M&sig=2P90aVEfXkpdy87CjzPmQtwFcMY#v=onepage&q&f=false">Research has shown</a> that people who experience high levels of anxiety in exams can also see their performance decline in evaluation situations. </p>
<p>These people tend to perceive exams as threatening and respond with intense emotional responses, making it difficult to focus on the task at hand. </p>
<p>Assessment situations also evoke worry responses that interfere with effective performance on cognitive and intellectual tasks. This then impacts on the person’s chance of performing their best on the exam. </p>
<p>Exam anxiety may also interfere with your ability to show your academic and cognitive capabilities. </p>
<h2>So, how can I cool my exam nerves?</h2>
<p>If you identify high anxiety in yourself, you can learn ways to manage it so that it doesn’t take over your exam performance. </p>
<p>The skills you find most helpful in managing your exam anxiety will vary depending on what triggers may be contributing to your high levels of anxiety.</p>
<p>If students experience high levels of anxiety before an exam, they should engage in self-care strategies during this time by keeping an eye on sleeping through the night, nutrition, exercise, and implementing a few relaxation routines.</p>
<p>Students sometimes forget these small steps as they can feel consumed by the fear of the exam. </p>
<h2>Relaxation training</h2>
<p>Psychologists and well-being teams at school have a range of techniques to help manage test anxiety – and can also recommend ways to improve your study skills. </p>
<p>The goals of the techniques are to help students understand the nature of their anxiety so that they can cope more effectively with upcoming evaluations. </p>
<p>This may include behavioural intervention that aims to teach <a href="http://ir.library.louisville.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1083&context=honor">relaxation training like mindfulness</a>. </p>
<p><a href="http://au.reachout.com/what-is-mindfulness">Mindfulness</a> is where a student tries to focus on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting their anxious feelings, thoughts, and physical reactions. </p>
<p>Relaxation training can be used alongside a process of systematic desensitisation – this is where a person visualises a scene while completely relaxed, and the mental image evokes some of the feelings of the real scene. </p>
<p>The idea is that if you learn to relax while visualising yourself taking the exam, you can also learn to be relaxed while actually taking the exam.</p>
<h2>Support through special consideration</h2>
<p>Some students who experience high levels of anxiety (intense panic or fear about an exam that results in them being unable to do the test) can access additional support through special consideration at their school. </p>
<p>This varies based on the individual needs of the student. But some students may need access to a separate room to complete exams, regular breaks during the exam or more time. </p>
<p>To access this type of consideration, get in touch with your school’s wellbeing team or a psychologist (see resources below) to help develop an individualised plan for you during the exam season.</p>
<p>Learning to work through your exam anxiety can have a number of positive effects including:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01443410020019867">Improved academic performance</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0361476X0191094X">Reduction in stress and distress</a> </li>
<li><a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=NVYFPAziXKMC&oi=fnd&pg=PA113&dq=anxiety+can+help+with+performance+in+an+exam&ots=ogf8sQhmDn&sig=FV5-UsvwWkoTrvB-W25TqofH9po#v=onepage&q=anxiety%20can%20help%20with%20performance%20in%20an%20exam&f=false">Increased sense of control and confidence</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1207/s15324818ame0803_3">Decreased frustration</a></li>
</ul>
<h2>Tips for coping with exam anxiety</h2>
<p>When getting ready for exams try to: </p>
<ul>
<li><p>Prepare ahead of time by working on sections of the content each day</p></li>
<li><p>Use practice exam papers as an opportunity to manage anxiety</p></li>
<li><p>Identify your anxiety early by noticing your physical responses</p></li>
<li><p>Try replacing unhelpful thoughts with more encouraging self-talk by challenging your worried and negative <a href="http://psychcentral.com/lib/challenging-negative-self-talk/">thoughts</a></p></li>
<li><p>Practice focusing your attention on the task at hand (mindfulness), rather than getting tangled in your anxiety and thinking of the “what if?”</p></li>
<li><p>Learn a <a href="https://www.anxietybc.com/sites/default/files/Test_Anxiety_Booklet.pdf">few skills</a> for reducing your physical reactions of anxiety</p>
<ul>
<li>Remember good self-care: pay attention to your sleep, nutrition, exercise, relaxation routines, and reach out for social support</li>
</ul></li>
</ul>
<h2>Useful links and resources</h2>
<p>You can also take a look at this <a href="https://www.anxietybc.com/sites/default/files/Test_Anxiety_Booklet.pdf">exam anxiety booklet</a> which aims to help you and your parents better understand exam anxiety. </p>
<p>You can read the booklet to help identify coping strategies that may help address your anxiety. Also, your parents could read this booklet with you and participate in identifying coping strategies.</p>
<p>If you would like to talk to someone right now about your exam anxiety and ask a few questions about individual support, contact (available 24/7): </p>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.kidshelp.com.au">Kids Helpline</a> – 1800 55 1800 </li>
<li><a href="http://www.eheadspace.org.au">Headspace Online Counselling</a></li>
<li><a href="http://au.reachout.com/">Reachout.com</a></li>
</ul>
<p><em>• <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/making-sense-of-exams-32567">Read more</a> from the series.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/67445/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Christine Grové does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>There are ways to manage exam anxiety so that it doesn’t hugely impact your performance.Christine Grové, Psychologist and Lecturer in Education and Psychology, Monash UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/673802016-10-25T19:12:09Z2016-10-25T19:12:09ZWhat causes mind blanks during exams?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/143000/original/image-20161024-28420-82av1j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">As exam season rolls around, many students are wondering what causes the dreaded mind blank.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">from www.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>In our five-part series, <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/making-sense-of-exams-32567">Making Sense of Exams</a>, we’ll discuss the purpose of exams, whether they can be done online, overcoming exam anxiety, and effective revision techniques.</em></p>
<hr>
<p>It’s a pattern many of us have likely experienced in the past. </p>
<p>You prep for an exam and all the information seems coherent and simple. Then you sit for an exam and suddenly all the information you learned is gone. You struggle to pull something up – anything – but the harder you fight, the further away the information feels. The dreaded <a href="http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/abn/61/2/207/">mind blank</a>.</p>
<h2>So what is going on?</h2>
<p>To understand what’s happening during a mind blank, there are three brain regions we have to become familiar with.</p>
<p>The first is the hypothalamus. For all intents and purposes, we can conceive of the hypothalamus as the bridge between your emotions and your physical sensations. In short, this part of the brain has <a href="http://www.jpsychores.com/article/S0022-3999(02)00429-4/abstract">strong connections to the endocrine system</a>, which, in turn, is responsible for the type and amount of hormones flowing throughout your body.</p>
<p>The second is the hippocampus. A subcortical structure, the hippocampus plays an incredibly important role in both the <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hipo.450040319/full">learning and retrieval of facts and concepts</a>. We can conceive of the hippocampus as a sort of memory door through which all information must pass in order to enter and exit the brain.</p>
<p>The third is the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Located behind your eyes, this is the calm, cool, rational part of your brain. All the things that suggest you, as a human being, are in control <a href="http://www.annualreviews.org/doi/abs/10.1146/annurev.neuro.24.1.167">are largely mediated here</a>: things like working memory (the ability to hold and manipulate information in your mind), impulse control (the ability to dampen unwanted behavioural responses), decision making (the ability to select a proper response between competing possibilities), etc.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/143001/original/image-20161024-28382-1br01a0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/143001/original/image-20161024-28382-1br01a0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=485&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/143001/original/image-20161024-28382-1br01a0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=485&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/143001/original/image-20161024-28382-1br01a0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=485&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/143001/original/image-20161024-28382-1br01a0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=610&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/143001/original/image-20161024-28382-1br01a0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=610&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/143001/original/image-20161024-28382-1br01a0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=610&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Regions of the brain. from www.shutterstock.com.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>How a mind blank happens</h2>
<p>When you are preparing for an exam in a setting that is predictable and relatively low-stakes, you are able to engage in <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=wCMgWbc6KgAC&oi=fnd&pg=PA237&dq=cold+cognition&ots=SnBejDeCaC&sig=Vktyd0jXTcdG-t6K7cuFc9N9X8s#v=onepage&q=cold%20cognition&f=false">cold cognition</a>. This is the term given to logical and rational thinking processes. </p>
<p>In our particular instance, when you are studying at home, seated in your comfortable bed, listening to your favourite music, the hypothalamus slows down the production and release of key stress hormones (outlined below) while the PFC and hippocampus are confidently chugging along unimpeded. </p>
<p>However, when you enter a somewhat unpredictable and high-stakes exam situation, you enter the realm of <a href="https://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=wCMgWbc6KgAC&oi=fnd&pg=PA237&dq=cold+cognition&ots=SnBejDeCaC&sig=Vktyd0jXTcdG-t6K7cuFc9N9X8s#v=onepage&q=cold%20cognition&f=false">hot cognition</a>. This is the term given to non-logical and emotionally driven thinking processes. Hot cognition is typically triggered in response to a clear threat or otherwise highly stressful situation.</p>
<p>So an exam can serve to trigger a cascade of unique thoughts – for instance,</p>
<blockquote>
<p>If I fail this exam I may not get into a good university or graduate program. Then I may not get a good job. Then I may perish alone and penniless.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>With this type of loaded thinking, it’s no wonder that those taking tests sometimes perceive an exam as a threat. </p>
<p>When a threat is detected, the hypothalamus stimulates the generation of several key stress hormones, including <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0006899382905194">norepinephrine</a> and <a href="http://dujs.dartmouth.edu/2011/02/the-physiology-of-stress-cortisol-and-the-hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal-axis/#.WA2D8ySbiUY">cortisol</a>. </p>
<p>Large levels of norepinephrine enter the PFC and serve to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4774859/">dampen neuronal firing and impair effective communication</a>. This impairment essentially clears out your working memory (whatever you were thinking about is now gone) and stops the rational, logical PFC from influencing other brain regions.</p>
<p>At the same time, large levels of cortisol enter the hippocampus and not only <a href="http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v3/n6/abs/nrn849.html">disrupt activation patterns there</a>, but also (with prolonged exposure) <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0891061897000318">kill hippocampal neurons</a>. This serves to impede the ability to access old memories and skews the perception and storage of new memories.</p>
<p>In short, when an exam is interpreted as a threat and a stress response is triggered, working memory is wiped clean, recall mechanisms are disrupted, and emotionally laden hot cognition driven by the hypothalamus (and other subcortical regions) overrides the normally rational cold cognition driven by the PFC. </p>
<p>Taken together, this process leads to a mind blank, making logical cognitive activity difficult to undertake.</p>
<h2>Is there any way to avoid this?</h2>
<p>The good news – there are some things you can do to stave off mind blanks.</p>
<p>The first concerns de-stressing. Through concerted practice and application of <a href="http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/ocp/13/1/69/">cognitive-behavioural and/or relaxation techniques</a> aimed at reframing any perceived threat during an exam situation, those taking tests can potentially abate the stress response and re-enter a more rational thinking process.</p>
<p>Another concerns preparation. The reason the armed forces train new recruits in stressful situations that simulate active combat scenarios is to ensure cold cognition during future engagements. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mml4B1w0mb4?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
</figure>
<p>The more a person experiences a particular situation, the less likely he or she is to perceive such a situation as threatening.</p>
<p>So when preparing for an exam, try not to do so in a highly relaxed soothing environment – rather, try to push yourself in ways that will <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mml4B1w0mb4">mimic the final testing scenario</a> you are preparing for.</p>
<p><em>• <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/making-sense-of-exams-32567">Read more</a> from the series.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/67380/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jared Cooney Horvath is affiliated with the ARC-SRI Science of Learning Research Centre (SLRC) at The University of Melbourne. The SLRC is funded through a Special Research Initiative of the Australian Research Council.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jason Lodge is affiliated with the ARC-SRI Science of Learning Research Centre (SLRC) at The University of Melbourne. The SLRC is funded through a Special Research Initiative of the Australian Research Council.</span></em></p>Mind blanks are typically triggered in response to a perceived threat. The chemical process that takes place essentially clears out your working memory, quiets logical processes, and walls off memory.Jared Cooney Horvath, Postdoctoral fellow, The University of MelbourneJason M Lodge, Senior Lecturer, Melbourne Centre for the Study of Higher Education & ARC-SRI Science of Learning Research Centre, The University of MelbourneLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/460762015-08-13T20:32:15Z2015-08-13T20:32:15ZIncrease in special exam consideration reflects increase in mental illness diagnoses<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/91714/original/image-20150813-21409-1vkg8dv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Are more students seeking special exam consideration because they're increasingly aware it's available to them, or because they need it?</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">UBC Learning Commons/Flickr</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><a href="http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/special-vce-exam-arrangements-at-record-high-20150812-gixk5s.html">Recent media reports</a> have indicated growing numbers of students require special examination considerations for coursework and exams. </p>
<p>In Victoria, there was a 42% increase in applications for special considerations since 2009. In <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/elite-school-students-get-more-special-help-in-hsc/2008/05/25/1211653847168.html">New South Wales</a>, there were 5261 applications from the almost 70,000 students who undertook the HSC, <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/national/tertiary-education/private-students-most-likely-to-apply-for-hsc-special-consideration-20111207-1ojbs.html">an increase</a> from previous years. <a href="http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/national/private-schools-accused-of-rorting-hsc/2008/12/28/1230399045680.html?page=fullpage">Media reports reveal</a> a progressive jump in student numbers applying for special examination arrangements in various states.</p>
<p>Among these are an increasing number of students who experience debilitating anxiety, preventing them from giving their best under test and exam conditions. The majority of these applications are lodged under the category “Severe Health Impairment”. This number includes those students who experience heightened anxiety during tests and examinations. </p>
<p>Only 10% of students applied under the category “Learning Disabilities”. Students with learning disabilities are <a href="https://www.psychology.org.au/publications/tip_sheets/learning/">difficult to diagnose</a>, as learning difficulties may sometimes be linked to maturation. Developmental delays are likely to lead to other social and emotional difficulties. As a consequence, fewer students who may in principle require more equitable examination arrangements actually qualify under this category. </p>
<p>The application requires the disclosure of the student’s IQ, which may not necessarily link to a learning disability. Learning disabilities and intellectual impairments are not the same thing, and not necessarily related.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/91715/original/image-20150813-21387-1k93zlv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/91715/original/image-20150813-21387-1k93zlv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/91715/original/image-20150813-21387-1k93zlv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/91715/original/image-20150813-21387-1k93zlv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/91715/original/image-20150813-21387-1k93zlv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/91715/original/image-20150813-21387-1k93zlv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/91715/original/image-20150813-21387-1k93zlv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/91715/original/image-20150813-21387-1k93zlv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Fewer than 10% of applications were due to actual learning disabilities.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Steven S/FLickr</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A review of special examination and coursework policies is currently being conducted, in an attempt to create a more equitable system for all students. </p>
<p>The rising number of applications for special considerations does indicate that many students experience significant psychological difficulty undertaking examinations. The process appears to exacerbate stress and anxiety, preventing students from successfully responding to questions in this high-pressure environment. </p>
<p>To counteract this, many have preferred to apply for “safety nets” such as extra writing or reading time, the use of different coloured paper, alternative question formats and computer use instead of handwriting, in order to provide support to help overcome these difficulties.</p>
<h2>More consideration for private schools</h2>
<p>An interesting factor is that more students successfully apply for special considerations <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/national/tertiary-education/private-students-most-likely-to-apply-for-hsc-special-consideration-20111207-1ojbs.html">from private schools than state schools</a>, even though there are significantly more students with learning difficulties in state schools. Students with additional learning needs in Victoria number <a href="http://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/about/department/brochureJuly.pdf">almost 13,000</a> in state schools, and <a href="http://www.is.vic.edu.au/independent/facts/numbers.htm">just over 3,000</a> in independent schools.</p>
<p>Numbers from the <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/special-vce-exam-arrangements-at-record-high-20150812-gixk5s.html">Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority</a> show that last year 227 successful applications were made by private schools and just 129 applications from state schools. In NSW, <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/national/tertiary-education/private-students-most-likely-to-apply-for-hsc-special-consideration-20111207-1ojbs.html">more than 52%</a> of the applications are received from non-government schools.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/91716/original/image-20150813-21421-n6kzkc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/91716/original/image-20150813-21421-n6kzkc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/91716/original/image-20150813-21421-n6kzkc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/91716/original/image-20150813-21421-n6kzkc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/91716/original/image-20150813-21421-n6kzkc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/91716/original/image-20150813-21421-n6kzkc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/91716/original/image-20150813-21421-n6kzkc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/91716/original/image-20150813-21421-n6kzkc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">More successful applications came from private schools, possibly because they have dedicated resources.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Pete/Flickr</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>It is often the case that private and independent schools have dedicated personnel to process applications for special consideration, with both parents and students having ready access to information very early on.</p>
<p>State schools may not necessarily have this provision, nor the funds required to process the psychological and clinical testing required.</p>
<h2>Increases in mental illness and recognising it</h2>
<p>Another factor that may have contributed to the sharp increase in special consideration applications is that medical personnel are now better equipped to identify symptoms associated with anxiety-related and depressive conditions.</p>
<p>In recent years, there have been advances in the early detection and management of depression and stress-related disorders. In a current review, the <a href="https://www.psychology.org.au/publications/inpsych/2012/february/manicavasagar/">Australian Psychological Society</a> acknowledged that depression will account for the highest level of disability by 2030. </p>
<p>This increase in anxiety and stress disorders appears to persist long after schooling as many students at universities and those in the workplace report stress and anxiety. A report by the <a href="https://www.psychology.org.au/Assets/Files/Stress%20and%20wellbeing%20in%20Australia%20survey%202013.pdf">Australian Psychological Society</a> revealed that young Australians (18-25 years of age) reported lowered levels of wellbeing and higher degrees of stress and distress.</p>
<p>The report also revealed that young Australians reported increased depressive and anxiety-related symptoms. Among these, Australian students in the 18-25 year category reported heightened anxiety and stress. </p>
<p>Evidently, the pressures of modern life intensify anxiety, adding to the already heavy psychological load being carried by students. The pressure to conform and perform according to the standards and expectations of modern society are not just limited to classrooms, but permeate life outside school as well. </p>
<p>Consequently, the sharp increase in applications for special examination arrangements and special considerations in recent years does reveal a slightly worrying trend in both schools and society. Applications for such concessions are mostly legitimate and may be reflective of wider issues impacting on our world at large.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/46076/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Pearl Subban is affiliated with Monash University.</span></em></p>Recent media reports have indicated there is a growing number of students requiring special considerations for coursework and exams.Pearl Subban, Lecturer, Faculty of Education, Monash UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.