Researchers have concluded that test anxiety generally has a negative impact on academic achievement. Educational reforms can be successful when the collective processes are considered to incorporate perspectives of educators and communities.
Schools, educators and policy-makers have to understand the different ways to minimize the effects of testing on students’ anxiety. Parents and teachers should interact with students to reduce test anxiety for them in the following ways:
- Parents & teachers must offer positive messaging and should keep the communication open between them.
- Parents & teachers should not pressurize students. No test is a perfect reflection of what a student knows or is able to do.
- Parents & teachers must emphasize test skills but they need not be drilling on it.
- Those students who are good in both content & skills tend to have less test anxiety and are capable of managing their time as well as responses.
- Parents, teachers and policymakers should work in their various roles to support student’s success while learning about possibilities for more complex and intelligent forms of accountability.