A Health promotion program: Reducing test anxiety levels among students of 1st grade of Compulsory Secondary Education

Abstract

[EN] Introduction: Test anxiety affects students of different ages from all over the world, yet there is little awareness of this complex issue at both educational and social level. With an increasing prevalence, it is one of the most important academic-related problem affecting students’ everyday life, leading to low scholastic performance and educational failure, as well as short and long-term consequences on mental health.

Objective: To reduce test anxiety levels by implementing a health promotion program among students of 1st grade of Compulsory Secondary Education aged between 12 and 13 years in the public institution IES Txurdinaga Behekoa.

Methodology: 45 students belonging to 1st grade of Compulsory Secondary Education from IES Txurdinaga Behekoa will participate. Another group of students from a school of similar characteristics will be used as the control group. Regarding theoretical framework, Social Cognitive Theory will be used.

Development: This is a 12 weeks’ program, consisting of 16 sessions delivered in the school.

Evaluation: A quasi-experimental design will be followed. Through four questionnaires and semester’s mean grade, students will be assessed three times. First measurement will take place two weeks before the implementation of the program, second being at the end and the last one being at a year after the end of the program.