Using collaborative two‐stage examinations to address test anxiety in a large enrollment gateway course
Abstract
Large enrollment foundational courses are perceived as "high stakes" because of their potential to act as barriers for progression to the next course or admittance to a program. The nature of gateway courses makes them ideal settings to explore the relationship between anxiety, pedagogical interventions, and student performance. Here, two-stage collaborative examinations were implemented to improve test-taking skills and address widespread test anxiety in an introductory human anatomy course. Test anxiety data were collected (using the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire) before the first examination and last examination. Most students experienced decreased test anxiety over the course of the semester; however, some students may have experienced performance limiting conditions due to test anxiety at the end of the semester based on academic ability in the course (in "C" students when compared to "A" students: P < 0.00006 and "B" students: P < 0.05), overall academic ability (in academically weaker students: P < 0.025), and demographic factors (in women: P < 0.025). The strongest performances on examinations were primarily observed in already academically strong students (mean individual performance: P < 0.000, mean group performance: P < 0.000). Furthermore, changes in test anxiety were not significantly associated with the group portion of the examinations. Patterns of changes in test anxiety over the course of the semester underscore a complex interaction betwee…
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- Authors
- Fournier, K. A., Couret, J., Ramsay, J. B., & Caulkins, J. L.
- Affiliations
- University of Rhode Island (US)
- Westfield State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Fournier, Kimberly A.
- Venue
- Anatomical Sciences Education
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2017-01-30
- Volume
- 10
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 409-422
- ISSN
- 1935-9772 (ISSN-L)
- 1935-9780
- OpenAlex
- W2581754950
- Cited by
- 68
- References
- 49
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 44 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 2 · 2017: 1
- FWCI
- 26.49
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Anatomical Sciences Education (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Westfield State University
- Directorate for Biological Sciences
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Innovative Teaching and Learning Methods
- Social Sciences › Education › Student Assessment and Feedback
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Student Stress and Coping
- Keywords
- test anxiety, gateway courses, high-stakes testing, human anatomy education, student performance, academic ability, gender differences, test-taking skills, Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Anatomy, Anxiety, Curriculum, Educational Measurement, Female, Humans, Male, Motivation, Perception, Surveys and Questionnaires, Social Behavior, Stress, Psychological, Students, Universities, Young Adult, Test Taking Skills
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