Reducing test anxiety and improving academic self-esteem in high school and college students with learning disabilities

Test anxiety seems like a benign problem to some people, but it can be pote ntially serious when it leads to high levels of distress and academic failu re in otherwise capable students. Because test anxiety is common in older s tudents with learning disabilities (LD), it is surprising that little resea rch has been done on ways to reduce the distress these students experience in test situations. In this study, we used a randomized pretest-posttest co ntrol group design to examine the effectiveness of a cognitive-behavioral t reatment for reducing test anxiety and improving academic self-esteem in a cohort (N = 27) of high school and college students with learning disabilit ies (LD). All of the students participated voluntarily. They were enrolled in classes for students with learning problems. Before the study began, the y complained of test anxiety and showed an elevated score on the Test Anxie ty Inventory (TAI). Eleven students (85%) completed the 8-week long treatme nt, which consisted of progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery, self- instruction training, as well as training in study and test-taking skills. Results showed significant improvement in the treated group which was not e vident in an untreated control group (N = 16). Compared to the control grou p, the treated group showed significant reductions in test anxiety on the T AI, as well as improvement in study skills and academic self-esteem as meas ured by the Survey of Study Habits and Attitudes, and the school scale of t he Coopersmith Self-Esteem Inventory. These results extend the generality o f similar studies on reducing test anxiety and improving academic self-este em in younger students. They also suggest that relief from test anxiety can be expected fairly quickly when cognitive-behavioral methods are used. Add itional implications and methodological limitations of the study are discus sed. (C) 1999 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.