"I Like and Prefer to Work Alone": Social Anxiety, Academic Self-Efficacy, and Students' Perceptions of Active Learning

Abstract

Although active learning improves student outcomes in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs, it may provoke anxiety in some students. We examined whether two psychological variables, social anxiety (psychological distress relating to the fear of negative evaluation by others) and academic self-efficacy (confidence in one's ability to overcome academic challenges), interact with student perceptions of evidence-based instructional practices (EBIPs) and associate with their final grades in a STEM-related course. Human anatomy and physiology students in community college courses rated various EBIPs for their perceived educational value and their capacity to elicit anxiety (N = 227). In general, practices causing students the most anxiety (e.g., cold calling) were reported by students as having the least educational value. When controlling for students' self-reported grade point averages, socially anxious students rated several EBIPs as more anxiety inducing, whereas high-efficacy students reported less anxiety surrounding other EBIPs. Furthermore, mediation analysis revealed that individual differences in academic self-efficacy at the beginning of the term explained some of the negative association between students' social anxiety levels and final grades in the course. Our results, obtained in a community college context, support a growing body of evidence that social anxiety and academic self-efficacy are linked with how students perceive and perform in an active-learning environment.

FIGURE 1.

Ratings of teaching practices for anxiety (1 = no anxiety; 5 = extreme anxiety) made at the start of term and end of term. An asterisk (*) indicates a significant difference in anxiety rating between the start and end of term, p < 0.004. PRS, personal response system such as a clicker.

FIGURE 2.

Ratings of teaching practices for how much each contributes to learning (1 = little contribution; 5 = significant contribution) made at the start of term and end of term. An asterisk (*) indicates a significant difference in rating between the start and end of term, p < 0.004. PRS, personal response system such as a clicker .

FIGURE 3.

Model of academic self-efficacy as a mediator of the association between social anxiety and final grade received in the course when controlling for self-reported GPA. Unstandardized regression coefficients are shown. The indirect effect of social anxiety on final grade received via academic self-efficacy was significant.