Effects of a brief yoga intervention on test anxiety in fifth grade students

Date of Award

2011

Degree Name

Ed.S. in School Psychology

Department

School of Education and Health Sciences

Advisor/Chair

Advisor: Sawyer Hunley

Abstract

With the increase of high-stakes testing in the schools, research-based interventions to address test anxiety are needed. This study investigates the effectiveness of a brief yoga intervention on perceived feelings of test anxiety in fifth grade students. This study involves three participants engaging in a brief yoga intervention. Three matched (by anxiety level) control students were compared to the intervention group in order to ensure that decreased anxiety was not due to a placebo effect. It was hypothesized that the intervention would lower test anxiety in participants after engagement in the yoga intervention. Effect size of the individual scores indicated the yoga intervention had a large effect of decreasing test anxiety. The control group also decreased test anxiety, but at an inconsistent rate. Group effect sizes indicated lowered levels of test anxiety in both intervention and control groups. The findings indicate the yoga intervention was associated with consistent decreased anxiety levels in all three yoga participants. Further research into the effects of yoga on test anxiety is needed to verify the results of this study.

Keywords

Yoga Therapeutic use Case studies, Test anxiety Prevention Case studies, Stress management Case studies, School children Mental health Case studies

Rights Statement

Copyright © 2011, author

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