Test Anxiety Research (2014–2024) A Keyword Co-occurrence Analysis with Implications for Educational Practice
Keywords:
Academic Performance; Bibliometric Analysis; Examinations; School; Education qualityAbstract
Test anxiety not only plays a significant role in shaping students’ academic performance and mental health but also brings forth new challenges for the design and implementation of educational interventions. This study employs keyword co-occurrence network analysis to systematically explore core themes and development trends of test anxiety from 2014 to 2024. Based on 1,620 articles retrieved from the Scopus database, VOSviewer software was employed to analyze the clustering structure of author-keywords and index-keywords. The study finds that research on test anxiety has primarily focused on areas such as academic performance, gender differences, self-efficacy, psychological intervention, and the COVID-19 pandemic. In recent years, the scope of research in this field has expanded to include self-regulated learning, subject-specific anxiety, and mental health issues among high-pressure populations, aligning closely with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of “quality education” and “good health and well-being”. This field research shows a trend of cross-integration among disciplines such as psychology, education, medicine, and neuroscience. However, cross-cultural comparisons, long-term mechanisms, and the neurophysiological basis of test anxiety have not received sufficient attention. Future research urgently needs to adopt a cross-cultural perspective, explore individualized intervention pathways, and further uncover the neural mechanisms of test anxiety to better respond to the urgent need to improve education quality and promote mental health globally.
https://doi.org/10.26803/ijlter.24.6.2
References
Apostolidis, H., & Tsiatsos, T. (2021). Exploring anxiety awareness during academic science examinations. PLOS ONE, 16(12). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0261167
Ballen, C. J., Salehi, S., & Cotner, S. (2017). Exams disadvantage women in introductory biology. PLoS ONE, 12(10). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0186419
Bittermann, A., McNamara, D., Simonsmeier, B. A., & Schneider, M. (2023). The landscape of research on prior knowledge and learning: A bibliometric analysis. Educational Psychology Review, 35(2), Article 58. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-023-09775-9
Brady, S. T., Hard, B. M., & Gross, J. J. (2018). Reappraising test anxiety increases the academic performance of first-year college students. Journal of Educational Psychology, 110(3), 395–406. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000219
Broks, V. M., Dijk, S. W., Van den Broek, W. W., Stegers?Jager, K. M., & Woltman, A. M. (2024). Self?regulated learning profiles including test anxiety linked to stress and performance: A latent profile analysis based across multiple cohorts. Medical Education, 58(5), 544-555. https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.15283
Cai, S., Jin, Y., Lan, X., & Liu, Y. (2024). The cognitive psychology of learning anxiety: Effects on academic performance. In P. M. Eloundou-Enyegue (Ed.), Addressing global challenges: Exploring socio-cultural dynamics and sustainable solutions in a changing world (1st ed., pp. 929–935). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781032676043
Carey, E., Devine, A., Hill, F., & Szucs, D. (2017). Differentiating anxiety forms and their role in academic performance from primary to secondary school. PLoS ONE, 12(3). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0174418
Cassady, J. C., Tan, S. H., Robiullah, A., Badzovski, I., & Janiuk, J. (2025). Methods Employed in Studies Identifying “Levels” of Test Anxiety in University Students: A Systematic Review. Behavioral Sciences, 15(3), 331. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs15030331
Caviola, S., Toffalini, E., Giofrè, D., Ruiz, J. M., Sz?cs, D., & Mammarella, I. C. (2022). Math performance and academic anxiety forms, from sociodemographic to cognitive aspects: A meta-analysis on 906,311 participants. Educational Psychology Review, 34(1), 363–399. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-021-09618-5
Chin, E. C. H., Williams, M. W., Taylor, J. E., & Harvey, S. T. (2017). The influence of negative effects on test anxiety and academic performance: An examination of the tripartite model of emotions. Learning and Individual Differences, 54, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2017.01.002
Dagli, N., Ahmad, R., Haque, M., et al. (2024,). Bibliometric analysis of research papers on academic stress (1989–2023). Cureus, 16(3), e55536. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.55536
Endleman, S., Brittain, H., & Vaillancourt, T. (2021). The longitudinal associations between perfectionism and academic achievement across adolescence. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 46(2), 91-100. https://doi.org/10.1177/01650254211037400
England, B. J., Brigati, J. R., & Schussler, E. E. (2017). Student anxiety in introductory biology classrooms: Perceptions about active learning and persistence in the major. PLoS ONE, 12(8). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0182506
Ersozlu, Z., & Karakus, M. (2019). Mathematics anxiety: Mapping the literature by bibliometric analysis. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 15(2). https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/102441
Fernández-Castillo, A. (2021). State-anxiety and academic burnout regarding university access selective examinations in Spain during and after the COVID-19 lockdown. Frontiers in psychology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.621863
Fu, J. N., Yu, W. B., Li, S. Q., & Sun, W. Z. (2024). A bibliometric analysis of anxiety and depression among primary school students. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 15, 1431215. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1431215
Ganti, L., Persaud, N. A., & Stead, T. S. (2025). Bibliometric analysis methods for medical literature. Academic Medicine & Surgery. https://doi.org/10.62186/001c.129134
Hart, S. A., & Ganley, C. M. (2019). The nature of math anxiety in adults: Prevalence and correlations. Journal of Numerical Cognition, 5(2), 122–139. https://doi.org/10.5964/jnc.v5i2.195
Harzing, A. W., & Alakangas, S. (2016). Google Scholar, Scopus and the Web of Science: A longitudinal and cross-disciplinary comparison. Scientometrics, 106(2), 787-804. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-015-1798-9
Hu, X., Zhang, X., & McGeown, S. (2024). Foreign language anxiety and achievement: A study of primary school students learning English in China. Language Teaching Research, 28(4), 1594–1615. https://doi.org/10.1177/13621688211032332
Hyseni Duraku, Z., & Hoxha, L. (2018). Self-esteem, study skills, self-concept, social support, psychological distress, and coping mechanism effects on test anxiety and academic performance. Health Psychology Open, 5(2). https://doi.org/10.1177/2055102918799963
Jamieson, J. P., Peters, B. J., Greenwood, E. J., & Altose, A. J. (2016). Reappraising stress arousal improves performance and reduces evaluation anxiety in classroom exam situations. Social Psychological and Personality Science, 7(6), 579–587. https://doi.org/10.1177/1948550616644656
Khafizova, A. A., Zhdanov, S. P., Beltyukova, O. V., Lapidus, N. I., Grebenshchikova, L. Y., & Lushchik, I. V. (2024). A bibliometric analysis covering the relevant literature on science anxiety over two decades. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 20(3), em2411. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/14283
King, R. B., Cai, Y., & Elliot, A. J. (2024). Income inequality is associated with heightened test anxiety and lower academic achievement: A cross-national study in 51 countries. Learning and Instruction, 89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2023.101825
Kumar, R. (2025). Bibliometric analysis: Comprehensive insights into tools, techniques, applications, and solutions for research excellence. Spectrum of Engineering and Management Sciences, 3(1), 45–62. https://doi.org/10.31181/sems31202535k
Lane, J., Therriault, D., Dupuis, A., & et al. (2022). The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the anxiety of adolescents in Québec. Child & Youth Care Forum, 51(5), 811–833. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-021-09655-9
Lim, S. L., & Yeo, K. J. (2021). A systematic review of the relationship between motivational constructs and self-regulated learning. International Journal of Evaluation and Research in Education, 10(1), 330–335.https://doi.org/10.11591/ijere.v10i1.21006
Ma, H., & Ismail, L. (2025). Bibliometric analysis and systematic review of digital competence in education. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 12(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-04401-1
Mammarella, I. C., Donolato, E., Caviola, S., & Giofrè, D. (2018). Anxiety profiles and protective factors: A latent profile analysis in children. Personality and Individual Differences, 124, 201–208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2017.12.017
Morsanyi, K., Busdraghi, C., & Primi, C. (2014). Mathematical anxiety is linked to reduced cognitive reflection: A potential road from discomfort in the mathematics classroom to susceptibility to biases. Behavioral and Brain Functions, 10(1), 31. https://doi.org/10.1186/1744-9081-10-31
Öztürk, O., Kocaman, R., & Kanbach, D. K. (2024). How to design bibliometric research: An overview and a framework proposal. Review of Managerial Science, 18, 3333–3361. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11846-024-00738-0
Page, M. J., McKenzie, J. E., Bossuyt, P. M., Boutron, I., Hoffmann, T. C., Mulrow, C. D., Shamseer, L., Tetzlaff, J. M., Akl, E. A., Brennan, S. E., Chou, R., Glanville, J., Grimshaw, J. M., Hróbjartsson, A., Lalu, M. M., Li, T., Loder, E. W., Mayo-Wilson, E., McDonald, S., McGuinness, L. A., … Moher, D. (2021). The PRISMA 2020 statement: an updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews. BMJ, 372, n71. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.n71
Passas, I. (2024). Bibliometric analysis: The main steps. Encyclopedia, 4(2), 1014–1025. https://doi.org/10.3390/encyclopedia4020065
Putwain, D. W., & Daly, A. L. (2014). Test anxiety prevalence and gender differences in a sample of English secondary school students. Educational Studies, 40(5), 554–570. https://doi.org/10.1080/03055698.2014.953914
Putwain, D. W., Daly, A. L., Chamberlain, S., & Sadreddini, S. (2015). Academically buoyant students are less anxious about and perform better in high-stakes examinations. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 85(3), 247–263. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjep.12068
Putwain, D. W., Daly, A. L., Chamberlain, S., & Sadreddini, S. (2016). “Sink or swim”: Buoyancy and coping in the cognitive test anxiety–academic performance relationship. Educational Psychology, 36(10), 1807–1825. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410.2015.1066493
Radevi?, L., & Milovanovi?, I. (2024). Current trends in math anxiety research: A bibliometric approach. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 22, 1345–1362. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-023-10424-4
Roick, J., & Ringeisen, T. (2017). Self-efficacy, test anxiety, and academic success: A longitudinal validation. International Journal of Educational Research, 83, 84–93. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2016.12.006
Soheili, F., & Lanz, M. (2025). Psychological adaptation of international students in higher education: A bibliometric analysis. Current Psychology, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-025-07926-5
Steinmayr, R., Crede, J., McElvany, N., & Wirthwein, L. (2016). Subjective well-being, test anxiety, academic achievement: Testing for reciprocal effects. Frontiers in Psychology, 6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01994
Steinmayr, R., Heyder, A., Naumburg, C., Michels, J., & Wirthwein, L. (2018). School-related and individual predictors of subjective well-being and academic achievement. Frontiers in Psychology, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02631
Sun, Y., Lv, K., Xie, W., & Wang, Y. (2025). The effectiveness of brief mindfulness training in reducing test anxiety among high school students. BMC Psychology, 13, Article 205. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-025-02553-y
Tian, M., Liu, C., Xi, J., Wang, L., Zhang, P., Liu, C., Zhao, K., Wu, Y., Li, R., Jia, X., & Yu, Y. (2024). Effects of greenness in university campuses on test anxiety among Chinese university students during COVID-19 lockdowns: A correlational and mediation analysis. International Journal of Environmental Health Research, 34(6), 2605–2617. https://doi.org/10.1080/09603123.2023.2263382
Trigueros, R., Padilla, A. M., Aguilar-Parra, J. M., Rocamora, P., Morales-Gázquez, M. J., & López-Liria, R. (2020). The influence of emotional intelligence on resilience, test anxiety, academic stress and the mediterranean diet: A study with university students. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(6), Article 2071. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17062071
Turan, Z., & Meral, E. (2018). Game-based versus non-game-based: The impact of student response systems on students’ achievements, engagements and test anxieties. Informatics in Education, 17(1), 105–116. https://doi.org/10.15388/infedu.2018.07
Van Eck, N. J., & Waltman, L. (2020). VOSviewer Manual. Retrieved February 2025, from https://www.vosviewer.com/getting-started#vosviewer-manual
Von Der Embse, N., Jester, D., Roy, D., & Post, J. (2018). Test anxiety effects, predictors, and correlates: A 30-year meta-analytic review. Journal of Affective Disorders, 227, 483–493. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2017.11.048
Wan, S., Lin, S., Li, S., Tu, S., & Qin, G. (2024). The relationship between perfectionism and test anxiety of junior high school students: The role of self-efficacy and trait anxiety. Educational Studies, 50(6), 1184–1199. https://doi.org/10.1080/03055698.2022.2058868
Yamada, M., Shimada, A., Okubo, F., Oi, M., Kojima, K., & Ogata, H. (2017). Learning analytics of relationships among self-regulated learning, learning behaviors, and learning performance. Research and Practice in Technology Enhanced Learning, 12, 1-17.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s41039-017-0053-9
Zhang, X. (2019). Foreign language anxiety and foreign language performance: A meta-analysis. Modern Language Journal, 103(4), 763–781. https://doi.org/10.1111/modl.12590
Zheng, Y., & Cheng, L. (2018). How does anxiety influence language performance? From the perspectives of foreign language classroom anxiety and cognitive test anxiety. Language Testing in Asia, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40468-018-0065-4
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Yan Huang, Richard Peter Bailey, Nadia Samsudin
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
All articles published by IJLTER are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No-Derivatives 4.0 International License (CCBY-NC-ND4.0).
