Students often feel anxious around assessments, generally due to the preparation required and the pressure to perform well. Research has demonstrated how these elevated stress levels can impact performance during exams, but can they also affect how students prepare for exams too? Do nerves determine whether students use effective study techniques, such as Retrieval Practice, in the first place?
Read on to discover
- What test anxiety is
- What Retrieval Practice is and why students should use it
- What the latest research says about the impact of test anxiety on Retrieval Practice
- How to encourage your students to use Retrieval Practice
What is test anxiety?
Test anxiety refers to the excessive stress students experience around assessments. While a little nervousness during exams can boost performance, high levels of anxiety can harm academic achievement. But does test anxiety also affect how students prepare for exams? Does it change how often they use effective revision techniques, such as Retrieval Practice?
What is Retrieval Practice and why should students use it?
Retrieval Practice involves recalling answers using existing knowledge. Examples include quizzes, flashcards, and essay questions. This technique can reinforce understanding and improve recall, leading to much higher test scores.
But despite Retrieval Practice being so effective, few students actually use it. So, why do students avoid Retrieval Practice, and how might this be related to test anxiety? A recent study may have some answers.
What does the latest research on test anxiety & Retrieval Practice say?
Through a series of interesting experiments, researchers investigated the relationship between test anxiety, Retrieval Practice and academic performance.
In their first experiment, researchers explored whether those with high test anxiety are less likely to use Retrieval Practice, and perform worse in exams as a result. 459 high school students were given a questionnaire about how they prepared for tests, if they experienced test anxiety, and their academic achievement. Results revealed that not only were students with high test anxiety less likely to perform well on exams, but this was a consequence of engaging less with Retrieval Practice.
In another experiment in the study, the researchers wanted to see if students’ use of Retrieval Practice was also affected by how high-stakes (and consequently stressful) the exam was, rather than their own internal test anxiety. A teacher informed the participants that they had uploaded online practice tests and content summaries for each topic to help them revise. Students were told that some of these topics would be on the upcoming exam and others would not. The teacher then asked which topics students would like to read summaries for and which they would like to take practice tests for. Students tended to avoid Retrieval Practice for the exam topics, opting to read summaries instead. This suggests exam pressure, rather than just internal test anxiety, affects the use of study methods.
These findings were also confirmed in a third experiment within this study. Overall, the results indicated that students with high levels of test anxiety are more likely to avoid Retrieval Practice. It seems most evident when students undertake high-stakes exams, which are known to cause exceptional amounts of stress due to their significance. In avoiding Retrieval Practice, students’ academic performance then ultimately suffers.
How can we encourage students to use Retrieval Practice?
It’s clear that test anxiety has a negative impact on students’ use of Retrieval Practice. But is there anything we can do to combat this? Below, we’ve outlined some tips to help students become more comfortable with Retrieval Practice and motivate them to incorporate it into their own revision.
1. Explain the benefits
Teachers often encourage students to use Retrieval Practice, but many students don’t fully understand why it’s recommended. By sharing research and statistics that highlight the benefits of testing, teachers can help students see its value, making them more likely to incorporate it into their own revision.
2. Allow students to experience the benefits of Retrieval Practice firsthand.
It’s good to inform students of the benefits of Retrieval Practice, but this still might not be enough to get them to use it in their own studies. To try to overcome this, teachers can incorporate opportunities for Retrieval Practice in their classes and show students their improved scores as a result. This allows students to experience the rewards of Retrieval Practice firsthand instead of just hearing about the benefits from someone else.
3. Support students when they are using Retrieval Practice in their own revision
When students first start using Retrieval Practice during independent study, it can seem overwhelming. The effort required to find resources and create their own questions can add stress that discourages them from continuing. To ease this initial challenge, teachers can provide retrieval materials and run supervisory sessions, reducing some of the workload and anxiety associated with self-testing. This can help students have a more positive and manageable experience with Retrieval Practice, making them more likely to use it consistently in the future.
Final thoughts on test anxiety and Retrieval Practice
As the benefits of Retrieval Practice are clear and consistently positive, understanding the factors that can encourage and discourage students from using it can go a long way in improving students understanding and learning. Recent research does seem to suggest that test anxiety can negatively affect the use of Retrieval Practice and, consequently, students’ academic performance.
As such, it can feel like a double-edged sword: helping students to use Retrieval Practice can reduce their test anxiety as they build confidence in their abilities and exam performance. However, it is also beneficial for students to have coping strategies for managing their exam nerves in the first place. For that, we recommend our Performance Under Pressure student workshops.
