Towards reducing anxiety and increasing performance in physics education: Evidence from a randomized experiment

Francois Molin, Sofie Cabus, Carla Haelermans and Wim Groot
Additional contact information
Francois Molin: RS: FSE TA-TIER, TIER TA
Sofie Cabus: RS: FSE TA-TIER
Wim Groot: Maastricht Graduate School of Governance, RS: FSE TA-TIER

No 14, Research Memorandum from Maastricht University, Graduate School of Business and Economics (GSBE)

Abstract: This study evaluates the effectiveness of an intervention of formative assessments with a clicker-based technology on anxiety and academic performance. We use a randomized experiment in physics education in one school in Dutch secondary education. For treated students the formative assessments are operationalized through quizzing at the end of each physics class, where clickers enable students to respond to questions. Control students do not receive these assessments and do not use clickers, but apart from that the classes they attend are similar. Findings from multilevel regressions indicate that the formative assessments significantly reduce anxiety in physics, and improve academic performance in physics in comparison with a traditional teaching. Furthermore, a mediation effect of anxiety in physics on academic performance is observed. In sum, this implies that an easily to implement technique of formative assessments can make students feel more at ease, which contributes to better educational performance.

JEL-codes: I20 I21 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019-05-20
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-edu, nep-exp and nep-ure
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https://cris.maastrichtuniversity.nl/ws/files/34250880/RM19014.pdf (application/pdf)

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Working Paper: Towards reducing anxiety and increasing performance in physics education: Evidence from a randomized experiment (2019)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:unm:umagsb:2019014

DOI: 10.26481/umagsb.2019014

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