Emotional Intelligence, Test Anxiety and Academic Stress of Students

Abstract

The transformation of global education sector gave raise to stringent testing procedureson students. Since high stakes testing is the solitaryroutine to identify effective students in the present education system, test anxiety is shown to be an obvious company for the students in the research literature.  Students’ community is in a challenging and stressful phase where aspirations are being spelt out to ensure them a place in the job market. The question lies on how the studentscan manage their test anxiety and academic stress using the well reconnoitered strength called emotional intelligence. To find the answer, this study aimed at exploring the emotional intelligence among university students of India, in relation to their test anxiety and academic stress.For this purpose, asample of 200 students in the age range of 18 to 23years with no history of clinically significant anxiety/ stress was taken. The study adopted survey research design using Emotional Intelligence scale by Schutte et al (1997),Fried-Ben Test Anxiety Scale by Friedman &Bendas Jacob (1997) and Student Academic Stress Scale (SASS) by Busari (2011). The objectives are (i) to study the differences in emotional intelligence, test anxiety and academic stress of students on the basis of their gender, (ii) to study the differences in emotional intelligence, test anxiety and academic stress of students on the basis of their course of study and (iii) to study the relationship among emotional intelligence, test anxiety and academic stress of students.The resultsrevealed significant differences in the study variables on the basis of students’ gender and course of study. Further, it is discussed on how training programmes may be devised to equip the emotional intelligence of students for their better performancein exams via managing their test anxiety and academic stress.