Understanding the assessment anxiety among primary grade students: study in GPS of Dhaka city

Abstract

Assessment is an integral part of education landscape; however, it can bring unintended challenges for the students. This study tries to explore the presence, causes and impact of assessment anxiety among the young learners of the government primary Schools of Dhaka city along with finding ways to overcome the negative effects of assessment anxiety. This research drew data from students, teachers and education experts through Focus Group Discussions and In-depth interview and found that assessment anxiety is present in forms of several physical and emotional symptoms among the primary grade students of the government primary schools in Dhaka. The highlighted contributing factors to this anxiety are the high-stake nature of summative assessment, parents’ and teachers’ perception of assessment, societal and institutional pressure, resulting in emotional distress and low-quality academic performance even after studying hard. This paper recommends a balance in assessment methods incorporating formative assessment, ensuring healthier assessment environment for students, shifting mindsets of teachers and parents regarding assessment to overcome this anxiety.