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Article Excerpt
Abstract
As part of an ongoing study of statistics anxiety, 70 doctoral students in two research universities, completed a Likert-scale instrument asking them to rate the extent to which elements increased and decreased anxiety levels they experienced in educational research courses. Ranking at the top for increasing anxiety was the amount of work due for the educational research class, followed by the amount of material covered in class, tests, the difficulty of the work, and the amount of work due for other classes. Ranking at the top for decreasing anxiety was getting a good grade on an assignment, followed by completing an assignment and receiving encouragement from the teacher. Analysis of open-ended questions revealed several themes for increasing anxiety (e.g., dissatisfaction with the teaching style of the professor, amount of work) and decreasing anxiety (e.g., availability of the professor, extensive feedback from the professor).
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Changes in Anxiety Among Doctoral Students
Students in graduate courses in educational research methodology and statistics courses report high levels of anxiety (Onwuegbuzie, DaRos, & Ryan, 1997; Onwuegbuzie, Slate, Paterson, Watson, & Schwartz, 2001; Onwuegbuzie & Wilson, in press; Schacht & Stewart, 1990, 1991; Zeidner, 1991). As a result of this anxiety, many students delay enrolling in these courses as long as possible, and some even fail to complete their degree programs (Onwuegbuzie, 1997). A growing body of evidence supports the possibility that a professor of educational research may have some power to at least reduce the anxiety inherent in the study of educational research methodology and statistics by encouraging and reassuring the students that they can do the work, addressing the anxiety, using humor, giving open book/open note tests, and promoting cooperative learning in and outside the classroom (Wilson, 1996, 1999a, 1999b).
Previous studies (e.g., Wilson, 1996, 1999a, 1999b) have focused primarily on master's degree students in teacher education programs. However, little is known about the anxiety reactions of doctoral students enrolled in statistics and research methodology courses. Thus, the purpose of the present investigation was to examine whether doctoral students have similar experiences with respect to anxiety as do master's students. Specifically, mixed-methodological techniques were utilized (Onwuegbuzie & Teddlie, 2002; Tashakkori & Teddlie, 1998). The following research questions were addressed: (a) What, specifically, increases the...
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