Introduction:
Communication apprehension, a common sign of anxiety, often manifests in students as reluctance to engage in discussions or provide answers during direct questioning. This reluctance is not a lack of ideas, but rather a fear of being wrong or expressing themselves incorrectly.
In written assignments, there may be gaps or blank answers where students avoid providing potentially incorrect information, leading to default failures rather than failures due to lack of understanding. Students with anxiety may also be excessively critical of their work or answers, often disappointed with anything less than perfection.
Identifying the Problem:
Anxious students often anticipate negative outcomes, fearing they have gotten an answer wrong, failed a test, or misunderstood the material. In severe cases, they may even personalize their failures, labeling themselves negatively. For some, the blank page or empty test question can be paralyzing, causing fear about the correct words to use or how to start. Others may write lengthy, disorganized responses out of fear of missing details.
Addressing the Challenge:
Providing students with a clear framework for revision and exam questions can help alleviate the fear of getting started and help them focus on where to finish. For instance, in biology, comparing and contrasting structures or processes can be effectively addressed using tools like Venn diagrams or tables. These graphic organizers provide a manageable structure for students, helping them to organize their thoughts and focus their responses.
Building Confidence:
Start by modeling the framework with a full answer, then provide the framework for students to complete. As they become more comfortable, encourage them to reconstruct the framework with a new question. This practice will build their confidence enough to try.
Utilizing Available Resources:
Students may be hesitant to use all the resources available to them, fearing it is like cheating. Mark schemes and examiners’ reports can be valuable resources, providing the structure for student answers and reassuring students that they can use tables and graphs without being penalized.
Constructivism:
Constructivism is a gentle method to help students develop their answers by building on existing knowledge. For instance, in modular courses, students may struggle to see how the last module applies to the current one. By showing them how a principle they know applies to the subject they’re learning, we can help them feel more confident and prepared to answer questions.
Real-world Examples:
In biology, for example, instead of asking a student how the ileum is adapted for its particular function, compare it to tissues in the lungs where substances are exchanged. During the second year, reinforce this comparison with the cells in the kidney or the structure of the mitochondria. When asking about the condensation reaction, discuss their real-world experiences of condensation to help them better understand the concept.
Conclusion:
By providing students with clear frameworks, encouraging the use of available resources, and employing constructivist teaching methods, we can help anxious students overcome their fears and develop the confidence to engage in learning and communication.
