ACHIEVEMENT-MOTIVATION LEVEL OF PRIMARY-SCHOOL CHILDREN - ANXIETY ANDACADEMIC-ACHIEVEMENT

The study explores the effect of achievement motivation on anxiety and academic achievement of children. The Test Anxiety Scale for Children (Samson, Davidson, Lighthall and Waite, 1958), General Anxiety Scale for Children (Sarason ct al, 1958) and Achievement Motivation Scale (R obinson and Argule, 1961 cf. Cohen, 1976) were administered to 183 pri mary school children reading in classes III through V. Children were g rouped into high and low achievement motivation groups on the basis of median split on achievement motivation score. These groups were match ed on motivational levels. The findings showed that children with high n-ach performed better academically and possessed significantly low l evel of test anxiety. However, they failed to differ in general anxiet y. A disordinal interaction was observed between education and achieve ment motivation level on test anxiety. It was further observed that ac ademic achievement of class III children was negatively correlated wit h general anxiety and positively with test anxiety. In case of class I V and V children, academic achievement was negatively correlated with both general and test anxiety. The low achievement motivation children of class V showed significant and positive correlation between academ ic achievement and test anxiety.