Effects of examination anxiety on academic performance of students in secondary schools in Khwisero District, Kakagema County, Kenya

Abstract

Examinations are the only common ways of evaluating academic outcomes in learners. Thus, examination results have a lot of implications in learners’ career and professional development. As such a lot of emphasis is put on learners by their parents and teachers to perform high in examinations. This eventually brings about anxieties and stress, particularly to learners as they approach examination periods. Hence, such examination related anxieties may affect their performance in one way or another. Therefore, this study examined the relationship between exams anxiety and academic performance of Form four students from secondary schools in Khwisero District, Kakamega County. A sample size of 275 students, who sat for the 2012 Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) exams, participated in the study by responding to exams anxiety 5-point likert scale. Their scores from the 5-point likert scale were then compared with their KCSE aggregate scores. The results indicated that there was a significant negative correlation between exams anxiety and academic performance using Pearson correlation test at 0.05 level of significance. There was also significant difference in the KCSE performance in favour of boys. Conclusions and recommendations were made in regard to calling upon on students, teachers, parents and other stakeholders in education to consider exams anxiety in the exams preparation strategies.