Year 12 is a stressful time for every teenager, but teachers who think they are acting in their students’ best interests by emphasising the stakes of the exams may only be increasing anxiety for the students and themselves in the process.
Professor Viviana Wuthrich and Dr Jessica Belcher from the School of Psychological Sciences carried out a study of 367 Year 12 students and 96 teachers from seven public and private schools across the Greater Sydney area to assess the effect of using fear appeals on stress levels in students and teachers.
Professor Wuthrich says fear appeals at school often begin with “the talk” given at the start of Year 12.
“The principal emphasises how important the year is, that it’s the summation of their education and critical for their future career, so they need to make the most of it,” she said.
“It’s the key to their success in life, and there will be negative consequences if they don’t knuckle down and work hard.”
Professor Wuthrich said this might be done with the best intentions, and for some students it can be effective in motivating them, but for others it has the opposite effect.
“It’s not just that one talk either – students reported regular reminders from their teachers throughout the year.”
Which students are most affected?
Professor Wuthrich said about 19% of Year 12 students could be classified as clinically stressed going into the Year 12 period.
“High levels of stress impair their ability to concentrate and study, affect sleep, and can ultimately reduce their performance at exam time,” she said.
“Stress fluctuates throughout the year, and high levels aren’t related to how bright they are, or which schools they go to, but girls do tend to be affected more than boys. The main factors are a predisposition to anxiety, and lower academic self-efficacy, which is their belief in their own ability to complete the course work.”
Fear appeals also hurt teachers
Dr Belcher says the study found teachers who used fear appeals with their students were more likely to report higher levels of anxiety and lower levels of confidence in their teaching ability.
“No university is telling their teachers in training that this is a good practice, but this behaviour fits in with what we already know about behaviour responses in people who experience anxiety,” she said.
“We know anxious people are prone to catastrophising, or expecting the very worst to happen, and this leads them to encourage risk avoidance in others.”
What can we do about it?
Professor Wuthrich says a two-pronged approach is required, focusing on increasing students’ self-efficacy and supporting teachers.
“Instead of trying to instil that fear of failure, teachers should be giving motivating talks that emphasise how far they’ve come and that they have all the resources at hand to really nail it,” she says.
“If we build that underlying resilience and the belief that they are ready for this challenge, it will not only reduce student stress and improve exam performance, but it will also help create a healthier environment for our teachers.”
This article originally appeared as a media release from Macquarie University.