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STEM students prefer assessment practices known to reduce the impact of test anxiety

Costello, R.A ; Hammarlund, S.P. ; Christiansen, E.M. ; Kiani, M.K. ; Glessmer, Mirjam LU orcid ; Cotner, S. and Ballen, C.J. (2025) In Nordic journal of STEM education 9(1). p.43-65
Abstract
Undergraduate introductory STEM courses often rely on few, high-stakes exams to assess student learning. This assessment strategy engenders high test anxiety and negatively impacts academic performance. We know little about how students want to be assessed—particularly those who experience high test anxiety. Applying a humanist learning framework, we asked students at a university in Norway to envision their ideal assessment practice. Our analyses affirm that test anxious students performed worse in their STEM courses, and students with marginalized identities in STEM were more test anxious. Additionally, we found that students overwhelmingly want more assessments. We also found that first-generation students, a student group rarely... (More)
Undergraduate introductory STEM courses often rely on few, high-stakes exams to assess student learning. This assessment strategy engenders high test anxiety and negatively impacts academic performance. We know little about how students want to be assessed—particularly those who experience high test anxiety. Applying a humanist learning framework, we asked students at a university in Norway to envision their ideal assessment practice. Our analyses affirm that test anxious students performed worse in their STEM courses, and students with marginalized identities in STEM were more test anxious. Additionally, we found that students overwhelmingly want more assessments. We also found that first-generation students, a student group rarely studied in Norway, want different types of assessments to replace high-stakes exams. In sum, student preferences aligned with assessment practices known to reduce the impact of test anxiety. Our results support calls for creating STEM environments where student voices are valued. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Assessments, First-generation students, Humanist learning framework, Introductory STEM courses, STEM equity, Test anxiety
in
Nordic journal of STEM education
volume
9
issue
1
pages
23 pages
ISSN
2535-4574
DOI
10.5324/njsteme.v9i1.5892
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
07ee1b9e-c371-42d8-9cc4-f6a3724813e1
date added to LUP
2025-03-07 16:38:56
date last changed
2025-04-04 14:53:48
@article{07ee1b9e-c371-42d8-9cc4-f6a3724813e1,
  abstract     = {{Undergraduate introductory STEM courses often rely on few, high-stakes exams to assess student learning. This assessment strategy engenders high test anxiety and negatively impacts academic performance. We know little about how students want to be assessed—particularly those who experience high test anxiety. Applying a humanist learning framework, we asked students at a university in Norway to envision their ideal assessment practice. Our analyses affirm that test anxious students performed worse in their STEM courses, and students with marginalized identities in STEM were more test anxious. Additionally, we found that students overwhelmingly want more assessments. We also found that first-generation students, a student group rarely studied in Norway, want different types of assessments to replace high-stakes exams. In sum, student preferences aligned with assessment practices known to reduce the impact of test anxiety. Our results support calls for creating STEM environments where student voices are valued.}},
  author       = {{Costello, R.A and Hammarlund, S.P. and Christiansen, E.M. and Kiani, M.K. and Glessmer, Mirjam and Cotner, S. and Ballen, C.J.}},
  issn         = {{2535-4574}},
  keywords     = {{Assessments; First-generation students; Humanist learning framework; Introductory STEM courses; STEM equity; Test anxiety}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{43--65}},
  series       = {{Nordic journal of STEM education}},
  title        = {{STEM students prefer assessment practices known to reduce the impact of test anxiety}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.5324/njsteme.v9i1.5892}},
  doi          = {{10.5324/njsteme.v9i1.5892}},
  volume       = {{9}},
  year         = {{2025}},
}