JASC: Journal of Applied Science and Computations ISSN NO: 1076-5131

DEXTERITY OF A TEACHER TO MITIGATE EXAM PHOBIA

Vijay Pal Tewari, Ph.D.
Guest Lecturer
Uday Degree College, Faizabad U.P.
[email protected], Mob: 9205409145

Abstract
Exam phobia is an anxiety disorder which perceives negative outcomes of an exam with
irrational and intense fear. There are an increasing number of suicides happening in India due
to exam phobia and stress among the students. An attempt has been made in the present thematic
paper to deal with exam phobia. Through exhaustive literature review, it is noticed that a little
has been talked about preventive measures of the said disease. A teacher is an important entity
to handle with exam phobia among the students. Teacher has got multifarious responsibilities
not only to transact the subject contents smoothly but also to protect the students from many
evils. In order to keep the phobia at bay, five points conceptual frame work has been envisaged
to be imbibed among the students as preventive measures. It is only feasible through active
execution and promotion by the teachers. At the same time, five points conceptual frame work is
also evolved for the teachers to follow in right spirit. Code for the students is crystallised and
presented as a healthy schedule which is having interwoven bearing with up keeping the mental
health.

Key words: Exam Phobia, academic performance, result,

BACKGROUND

Assessment is an integral part in the entire business and process of teaching and learning.
Any student can only be ascertained for the accommodation and upward movement to the next
higher class through an exam only. The very institution ‘Exam’ certifies that individual has
attained the set goals for an academic session or semester. However, exam process mostly relies
upon the re-production and re-calling of the contents taught during the course of teaching and
learning. An examinee is graded through outcomes of the exam process which class and society
invites comparison with fellow persons mechanically. Consequently, every person in his/her
deeper conscious mind is equipped and endowed to avert the act of examination and being
assessed for such grading or labelling. Every individual tries to attain best out of any test /exam
credulously. A child who goes to school and perceives exam as a final product for the entire
year of his/her studies, a continuous and prolonged nagging for the best result creates undue fear
and finally causing anxiety to his/her mind. Due to assigned high values, the exam possesses a
sharp motive to create hyper activity among the examinees .To attain the best image, earn kudos
and respect from all quarters in the society a child stands at a stake. The sustained worries and
undue associated values to an exam develop fear and stress in a student neurocognitively. The
thought process gets stimulated convulsing palpation and up beats of the heart. The connotation
of exam in such a manner becomes painful and difficult to deal with. Sustenance of prolonged
fear is the genesis of anxiety and phobia. However, fear is an emotion endowed by the nature as
a defence mechanism and a survival instinct to be respected and nourished up to extent but
undue fear impairs in the cognitive functioning of an individual. To develop a healthy thought

Volume VI, Issue I, January/2019 Page No:2739

JASC: Journal of Applied Science and Computations ISSN NO: 1076-5131

process about exams, the role of a teacher is immense and unparallel. A teacher can equip their
students to perceive the exam as a routine and part of their learning process. If the ‘Exam’ is
rightly connoted by the children in its intent and purpose, then there is remote chance of
developing Exam Phobia until the child is not suffering from any other cognitive-psycho
disorder. As it is well known that every effort is being made by the system of education to reduce
the exam fear and phobia of a child through reducing the length of curriculum for test, support
system and counselling opportunity including provisions of re-exams etc but the contribution of
a teacher to cope with Exam Phobia for a child is unique. It is not worth to highlight the losses
due to Exam Phobia as the same is well known to everyone. Every hour, one student commits
suicide in India (India Spend; 2017). As the frequency of suicide and exam related stress is on
rise, and students often fall prey of exam anxiety, it would not be sufficient to establish
counselling facilities for them which has already turned in vain over a period of time. There is an
inevitable need to follow preventive measures for this specific phobia and to nip it in bud. Some
measures have been innovated to tackle the exam phobia in an effective manner which is
presented in this thematic paper.

LITERATURE REVIEW

Khatoon and Parveen (2017) studied the examination phobia among secondary level
students. Various causes were identified for the exam phobia, among them poor understanding of
contents, teacher and parents expectations, fear of failure and punishment were important. As
remedial measures, encouragement and motivation would be needed for the students to prevent
the exam phobia. Atılgan, Uğur and Arca (2017)under the sources of test anxiety found that
middle school students described test anxiety with emotional symptoms whereas high school
students with cognitive symptoms. 10 middle school students and 10 high school students
formed the sample using semi-structured interview study was analysed. As sources of test
anxiety, the parents and teachers were found as sources of test anxiety for the higher success
expectations in both the age groups. Agrawal and Goel (2016) explained the various causes
underlying to develop exam phobia. The key factors which can affect the mental status and
create the exam phobia are high degree of psycho-social pressure for high academic performance
in the exam. A child get pressurised for performing upto the expectation of her parents, teachers
and institution. A suicidal thoughts and tendencies may also arise to an individual suffering from
exam phobia. It is recommended that parents and teachers should motivate and help the child to
overcome such pressure. Nwoke and Charles (2016).studied mathematics phobia and its
solutions among seconadary school children. 110 teacher of maths of secondary school in
Owerri North local Government of Imo State formed the sample. 4-points likert type of
questionnaire “Causes and Solutions of Mathematics Phobia (CSMP)” developed by the
researchers was used to collect the data which was having 0.81 coefficient of reliability. Analysis
was carried out using mean and standard deviation and chi-square(x2) test at 0.05 level of
significance. It was revealed that among other factors, teachers method of teaching, teacher-
students relationship, use of abusive words on students were significant causes of mathematics
phobia among students. Revina, et. al. (2014) Studied test anxiety levels of board exam going
students in Tamil Nadu, India. The study was taken on a sample of 100 students, containing 50
boys and 50 girls from 10th and 12th grades. Westside Test Anxiety Scale was used to collect
the data. Analysis revealed that students belonging to nuclear families exhibited higher anxiety

Volume VI, Issue I, January/2019 Page No:2740

JASC: Journal of Applied Science and Computations ISSN NO: 1076-5131

levels comparatively. Overall, prevalence of exam anxiety among board undertaking students
was found significant. Kumari and Jain (2014) studied the exam stress and anxiety among the
college students. A sample of 90 students was drawn from two Girls College to collect the data.
A questionnaire was developed by the investigator to gather stress and anxiety of examination. A
significant correlation was revealed between stress and anxiety between streams of their
education. Students of arts stream were having higher degree of exam stress and anxiety
followed by commerce stream. However, no significant relationship was noticed between UG
and PG students. Chawla,et.al. (2013) studied the exam phobia of secondary school children in
Moradabad city of UP. The data were collected using questionnaire developed by the
investigators from higher and senior secondary students. The factors creating the exam stress and
phobia were such as time pressure, annoyance of the teachers on poor performance, over
expectations of the parents and punishment from them, forgetting the answers after seeing the
question papers etc. However some of them were aware about importance of exam in their
academic growth. Jeffrey and Dan (2010). Effects of online testing on student exam performance
and test anxiety on a sample of 69 online tests was administered. It was revealed that students
who normally experience high levels of test anxiety in the classroom had reduced test anxiety
when taking online exams, while the reverse was true for those low in classroom anxiety.

EXAM ANXIETY AND PHOBIA

Anxiety and Phobia though being used interchangeably but there is a difference between
them. Phobia is a kind of anxiety which is irrational and undue to an object situation or scene
whereas anxiety is a sustained fear which develops due to perceived threat to life which may be
real or imaginary. Anxiety is a psychological, physiological, and behavioral state induced in
animals and humans by a threat to well-being or survival, either actual or potential. It is
characterized by increased arousal, expectancy, autonomic and neuroendocrine activation, and
specific behavior patterns (Steimer; 2002). There are many types of anxiety disorders like
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Panic disorder,
Social Anxiety Disorder etc.
According to oxford dictionary (2018) “Phobia is understood as ‘an extreme or irrational
fear of or aversion to”. There are mainly three types of Phobias i.e. specific phobias, social
and agoraphobia phobia. Exam phobia may be grouped under specific phobia. Exam phobia can
be understood as an anxiety disorder which creates intense fear about exam and excessive
worries for being assessed and labelled, expectation of poor outcomes or failure. “Exam Phobia
-Like any other kind of phobias to have an unnecessary fear of exam. Over-thinking about exam
that makes you gets nervous. (Exam Phobia; 2018)

OBJECTIVE

As it has been noticed that there are numerous remedial measures available on exam
phobia but a little could be documented about preventive measures on the subject. The objective
of this paper is to review the various facts associated to exam phobia and present an innovative
measures to prevent exam phobia among the students.

Volume VI, Issue I, January/2019 Page No:2741

JASC: Journal of Applied Science and Computations ISSN NO: 1076-5131

PREVENTIVE STRATEGIES TO KEEP EXAM PHOBIA AT BAY

It is proven fact that the preventive measures are always better than curative one as the
former protect us to larger extent from losses. The children are to be protected from the exam
anxiety to breed from very beginning itself. ‘Exam Phobia' an excessive anxiety disorder which
impairs the smooth cognitive functioning and adversely affect the performance of the students
can be checked, if some measures are followed effectively. The role of a teacher to deal with
exam phobia is very important and crucial as the students pay maxima attention and imbibe the
advices of their teachers as their role model. A teacher is a true friend, philosopher and guide for
the students. The covert responsibilities of a teacher are very crucial and sensitive to deal with
their students not only in terms of classroom teaching but also to protect them from any evils
including preventing them from exam anxiety, Phobia and other mental disorders. A code of
Five Points is presented to inculcate and get perceived in the mind of every student which would
be working as a panacea to counter any exam related stress.

1. CONCEPTUAL FRAME WORK FOR STUDENTS

Exam phobia is a persistent fear of exam in the mind of an individual, despite many other
factors; it develops through recurring negative thoughts about the outcomes of exam. There is a
need to develop right thought and concept about an exam. A Teacher can contribute to imbibe
and inculcate optimistic pattern of thinking about any exam among the students as a teacher is an
immediate guide for the students. There is fair amount of acceptance and followership is noticed
among the students for their teachers.

1.1 Exam : Routine and Integral part of learning

Exam facilitates learning and learning follows exam. The intensity of Exam ranges
from simple feed back of the topic learnt to hours of written test but without exam
learning is not feasible effectively. Students have to accept that exam is a routine affair
and inevitable in learning process. There is always conjugate relation established between
teaching-learning and exam/test, one is a compliment to other. Effective way of
understanding even motivates a student to undertake exam for own assessment. It gives
opportunity to create healthy competitive habits among the students and consequently the
best is drawn out of them.

1.2 Exam: Paves path for my improvement

Students are to be reminded that you can improve in your status by means of
analysing your weaknesses and strength, which is only possible through a balanced and
continuous method of exams. How much you have gained the content knowledge could
be ascertained through exams. Exam is a source of your cognitive development and
academic well-being. The strength and weakness in academic domain are diagnosed and
bridged after the exams. Exam is a boon to pave your bright future path as there is no
other mechanism through which we can plan about future course of academic journey
and ascertain present status of knowledge.

1.3 Exam: A mental game and celebration for higher transition

Volume VI, Issue I, January/2019 Page No:2742

JASC: Journal of Applied Science and Computations ISSN NO: 1076-5131

The third most exuberant aspect of an exam is that it can be instilled and
conceptualised as a mental game. Students can enjoy the entire course of exam as a fun.
Further, it is a celebration for moving to next higher class. They can be convinced that
through exams they learn concentration and develop high degree of confidence in
themselves. It prepares them for upward transition for next class. Exam is a play and fun
that can be realised once undertaken smoothly. It is noticed that quiz is always welcomed
participated out of interest and curiosity by the students but exams are sometimes avoided
due to wrong connotations about associated negative fear of outcomes. We need to
design our exam pattern in such a way that it can arouse maximum interest to participate.

1.4 Exam: I need, as I am studied well

If the students are prepared and studied well they themselves would be looking to
undertake exam as they feel gratification through testing of their acquired skills and
knowledge. Regular and homogeneous studies facilitate to cherish the exam process. A
confidence can be strengthened among the students that they have studied well and there
is no scope of fear of exam for them. This is an important concept to be in graced in the
mind of the students that they have control over their subjects and exam will validate
their abilities.

1.5 Exam: A true friend keeps me Alert and Agile

The fifty very bright object about exam to be nourished that it makes examinees
smarter and creates motivation to become alert and active towards their understanding of
knowledge and retention. The exams for their subject give worth of retention of the learnt
contents. The individual refreshes periodically the subject contents with motive to retain
it for exam point of view, through this course of exercise contents get established in the
mind for longer duration. Exam works as a drive in developing the power of retention
and stability of subject. Therefore, it would not be rhetoric to conceptualise that exam
makes us alert and agile in our endeavours.

2. CONCEPTUAL FRAME WORK FOR THE TEACHERS

It has unanimously been accepted that there is always need to mentally support and boost
the morale of the students with right pattern of thought to face the exam anxiety. The teachers
are the fountainhead to motivate and develop right frame of mind among the students. The
following innovative measures are brought forth to practise on the part of a teacher which could
be highly efficacious in handling the exam phobia as preventive measures.

2.1 Opinion and Comments of Teachers

The opinion and advises of the teachers are very valuable, as the students align
themselves and follow it upto larger extent. The remarks and comments given by a
teacher about exam are directly received by the students in letter and spirit. Since the
comments of a teacher are too effective, he/she is to refrain from signalling any critical
and panic views about exam. There is always need to weigh the comments before passed
on to the students in terms of whether it may create any severe fear in the mind, whether
it lays undue weightage to exam and less about the task of teaching and learning, whether

Volume VI, Issue I, January/2019 Page No:2743

JASC: Journal of Applied Science and Computations ISSN NO: 1076-5131

exam is an upheaval task to undertake etc. It would be an erudite deal on the part of a
teacher to emphasise healthy and routine practice of teaching with an objective of
participatory learning and not with an objective to score and grading in exam. Students
are to be equipped with living in the present and learning the subject with full
concentration and interest, at the same time failure is to be welcomed for futuristic plan
of improvement. Every Failure must be utilised as a guiding force for future
performances in a better way.

2.2 Post Exam Treatment

The outcomes of the exam may be favourable or may not be favourable it depends
upon numerous factors including performance in the hours of exam. Teachers have to
detach themselves from the emotional feeling of academic achievements of their students
as their sole product. There are many factors responsible for the result as not merely
methodology of teaching. The result of an exam would be working as diagnostic
outcomes for the teachers and students in case it is not favourable. It should not be
deciphered as their own defeat or success. Every Student deserves sympathy and to be
treated holistically post exam result. The behaviour of a teacher with students based upon
their exam performance would be having key impact about exam anxiety. The exam
phobia can be prevented effectively through unbiased behaviour of a teacher and
understanding the causes lying for undesirable performances.

2.3 Understand Normal Distribution Curve

Not only the IQ and psycho-social attributes are distributed normally by the
nature but also outcomes of every endeavour mostly follow the normalcy. The
distribution of exam scores is one of them to get a normal pattern. Despite, effective class
room teaching, comprehensive coverage of the syllabi and well designed teaching
pedagogy, students perform in variant. We need to appreciate this kind of array of nature
and accept it. In any given class, students would be scoring from very high to low
invariably, this fact to be taken into cognisance by the teachers in overall assessment of
the exam and result. However, it can never be denied that scope of successive
improvement is always there but we need to accept the poor and high achievements as
well in the right stead. This would develop a deep contentment in the mind of the
pedagogues and prepare them for cosy dealing with exam concepts.

2.4 Watch homogenous coverage

Uneven class coverage and accomplishing the major contents at eleventh hour not
only creates fear and anxiety among students but also considerable amount of stress takes
place in teachers as well. Students perceive the subject and topics too heavy to
accomplish in short span of time whereas the same is designed for the entire session to be
evenly undertaken. Well planned and homogeneous coverage coupled with time bound
class activities have little to bather. Test anxiety develops swiftly during excessive mental
stress without control on the lesson learnt. If the teaching and learning business remains
dormant at the initial days of the session and gains deeper momentum during the last
quarter, then there is a justified reason to create panic in the mind of the students. It is

Volume VI, Issue I, January/2019 Page No:2744

JASC: Journal of Applied Science and Computations ISSN NO: 1076-5131

indispensible to plan, execute and review course activities religiously. This would keep
the Exam Phobia at bay.

2.5 Incorporate Pace learning ingredients

For the effective transaction of the course contents, various methods and
strategies would be known to the teachers but to know the individual differences and
difficulties in terms of reception, processing and retention of the contents and adapt the
pedagogy accordingly is very important. A student who is unable to cope up with
galloping class contents will fall prey of anxiety and phobia. Every child is endowed with
different potential, talents and abilities which differentiate each other; however certain
children are having difficulty in processing the information at different rates and pace. In
case a child is unable to understand the topic and subsequent lessons with desired pace,
there is need to revisit the crux of the contents to cope up with learning. Pace learning has
direct bearing upon the morale and cheerfulness of the students. Learning proceeds
through success of learning, a child will be confident and motivated for the next lesson
provided she has understood preceding one. Pace learning may be quite helpful to
prevent from developing the exam phobia overtly or covertly.

CODE FOR THE STUDENTS

1. Involve fully in class activities.
2. Love your subject and respect your teacher.
3. Must have a time table of study, games and social work, adhere to it.
4. Finish tasks every day basis. Watch your habit of procrastination if any.
5. Avoid burden of tuition without real need, only weekend extra coaching.
6. Follow minimum 20 minutes aerobic exercises regularly.
7. Ensure 6-8 hours uninterrupted sleep.
8. Stop talking and visualising about exams.
9. Take rich vitamin and protein diets.
10. You are capable and ‘can do’ reaffirm yourself.

CONCLUSION

Exam Phobia has been identified as irrational and intense fear of exam and negative thoughts
about poor academic performance during exam coupled with feeling of inability to face the
dreaded exam situation. There are umpteen causes of exam phobia ranging from inability to
comprehend the lesson including coping with level of difficulty to expected pressure of peer,
teacher and parents for high achievements. To prevent the development of exam phobia among
the children, positive frame of mind for the teacher and parents are essential. A teacher is very
important individual to imbibe the right concept of exam among the children and to deal with
them sympathetically.

REFERENCES

Volume VI, Issue I, January/2019 Page No:2745

JASC: Journal of Applied Science and Computations ISSN NO: 1076-5131

Anjuli Agrawal and Rashi Goel (2016). Examination Phobia: A Common Problem of Students.
Review Journal of Philosophy and Social Science, 41 (2), 1-6.
[[

Chawla,C., Gupta, S. and Mahajan, T. (2013). Examination as a deterrent: a case study on

examination phobia among higher and senior secondary level students of moradabad city.
International journal of research in commerce, economics & management, 3(8), 45-49.

Exam Phobia (2018) in urban dictionary. Retrieved on https://www.urbandictionary.com

Phobia (2018). Enoxforddictionaries.com. Retrieved on https://en.oxforddictionaries.com

Jeffrey, R.S. and Dan B. (2010). Effects of online testing on student exam performance and test
anxiety. Journal of Educational computing Research, 42(2), 161-171

Khatoon,S. and Parveen,F.(2017) Examination Phobia among Secondary Level Students.

International Research Journal of Arts & Humanities (IRJAH), 3(7),129-146

Kumari, A. and Jagrati Jain, J.(2014). Examination stress and anxiety: a study of college
students. Global Journal of Multidisciplinary Studies, 4(1), 31-40

Nwoke, B.I. and Charles N. U. (2016). Causes and Solutions of Mathematics Phobia among
Secondary School Students. Research on Humanities and Social Sciences, 6, (20), 105-
109

Steimer,T. (2002). The biology of fear and anxiety related behaviour. Dialogues Clin Neurosci,
4(3): 231–249.
Revina, A. M., Gregory, M., Franklin, G. and Caroline, J. S. (2014).Test Anxiety Levels of
Board Exam Going Students in Tamil Nadu, India. Biomed Research International,
578323 doi: 10.1155/2014/578323.

Volume VI, Issue I, January/2019 Page No:2746