Impact of Inquiry-Based Stress Reduction Intervention on Pharmacy Students’ Test Anxiety
Test anxiety is a significant issue among pharmacy students, potentially affecting their academic performance and well-being. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an Inquiry-Based Stress Reduction (IBSR) intervention in reducing test anxiety. Pharmacy students enrolled in a didactic cou...
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MDPI AG
2024-12-01
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| Series: | Trends in Higher Education |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2813-4346/3/4/69 |
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| author | Martha Ndung’u Suzanne Galal Emily Tran Matissa Peng Jeffrey Chang Deepti Vyas John Mayberry Avneet Kaur Chima |
| author_facet | Martha Ndung’u Suzanne Galal Emily Tran Matissa Peng Jeffrey Chang Deepti Vyas John Mayberry Avneet Kaur Chima |
| author_sort | Martha Ndung’u |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Test anxiety is a significant issue among pharmacy students, potentially affecting their academic performance and well-being. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an Inquiry-Based Stress Reduction (IBSR) intervention in reducing test anxiety. Pharmacy students enrolled in a didactic course were randomized into an IBSR intervention group or a control group. Both groups attended a 1.5 h seminar; the intervention group learned the IBSR technique, while the control group received instruction on an unrelated topic (emotional intelligence). The intervention group also submitted weekly self-reflections on applying IBSR to exam-related anxiety. Anxiety levels were measured using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) at the start of two major exams. Descriptive data were collected and STAI results were analyzed via independent t-tests. Among the 86 participants, the average baseline STAI score indicated moderate–severe anxiety (51/80). No significant differences were found in anxiety scores between the groups before exam 2 (<i>p</i> = 0.99) and exam 3 (<i>p</i> = 0.60). However, 67% of the intervention group found IBSR helpful, 58% changed their test-taking approach, and 61% altered their self-perception. While IBSR did not significantly reduce pre-exam anxiety levels, it was perceived as beneficial by many students. Future research should explore additional strategies for managing test anxiety in this population. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-732f1bf739f84774a1e0ed36e070d44d |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2813-4346 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Trends in Higher Education |
| spelling | doaj-art-732f1bf739f84774a1e0ed36e070d44d2025-08-20T02:00:38ZengMDPI AGTrends in Higher Education2813-43462024-12-01341175118210.3390/higheredu3040069Impact of Inquiry-Based Stress Reduction Intervention on Pharmacy Students’ Test AnxietyMartha Ndung’u0Suzanne Galal1Emily Tran2Matissa Peng3Jeffrey Chang4Deepti Vyas5John Mayberry6Avneet Kaur Chima7School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, USAThomas J. Long School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA 95211, USAThomas J. Long School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA 95211, USAThomas J. Long School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA 95211, USAThomas J. Long School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA 95211, USAThomas J. Long School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA 95211, USAThomas J. Long School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA 95211, USAThomas J. Long School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA 95211, USATest anxiety is a significant issue among pharmacy students, potentially affecting their academic performance and well-being. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an Inquiry-Based Stress Reduction (IBSR) intervention in reducing test anxiety. Pharmacy students enrolled in a didactic course were randomized into an IBSR intervention group or a control group. Both groups attended a 1.5 h seminar; the intervention group learned the IBSR technique, while the control group received instruction on an unrelated topic (emotional intelligence). The intervention group also submitted weekly self-reflections on applying IBSR to exam-related anxiety. Anxiety levels were measured using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) at the start of two major exams. Descriptive data were collected and STAI results were analyzed via independent t-tests. Among the 86 participants, the average baseline STAI score indicated moderate–severe anxiety (51/80). No significant differences were found in anxiety scores between the groups before exam 2 (<i>p</i> = 0.99) and exam 3 (<i>p</i> = 0.60). However, 67% of the intervention group found IBSR helpful, 58% changed their test-taking approach, and 61% altered their self-perception. While IBSR did not significantly reduce pre-exam anxiety levels, it was perceived as beneficial by many students. Future research should explore additional strategies for managing test anxiety in this population.https://www.mdpi.com/2813-4346/3/4/69test anxietystress reduction interventionself-reflectioninquiry-based stress reduction (IBSR)State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) |
| spellingShingle | Martha Ndung’u Suzanne Galal Emily Tran Matissa Peng Jeffrey Chang Deepti Vyas John Mayberry Avneet Kaur Chima Impact of Inquiry-Based Stress Reduction Intervention on Pharmacy Students’ Test Anxiety Trends in Higher Education test anxiety stress reduction intervention self-reflection inquiry-based stress reduction (IBSR) State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) |
| title | Impact of Inquiry-Based Stress Reduction Intervention on Pharmacy Students’ Test Anxiety |
| title_full | Impact of Inquiry-Based Stress Reduction Intervention on Pharmacy Students’ Test Anxiety |
| title_fullStr | Impact of Inquiry-Based Stress Reduction Intervention on Pharmacy Students’ Test Anxiety |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impact of Inquiry-Based Stress Reduction Intervention on Pharmacy Students’ Test Anxiety |
| title_short | Impact of Inquiry-Based Stress Reduction Intervention on Pharmacy Students’ Test Anxiety |
| title_sort | impact of inquiry based stress reduction intervention on pharmacy students test anxiety |
| topic | test anxiety stress reduction intervention self-reflection inquiry-based stress reduction (IBSR) State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2813-4346/3/4/69 |
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