A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF LEARNING ANXIETY BETWEEN NOVICE AND SENIOR STUDENTS AT THE HIGHER EDUCATION LEVEL

Abstract

Learning anxiety is a significant psychological factor affecting students’ academic performance and well-being in higher education. This study aimed to compare the levels of learning anxiety between novice (first-year) and senior (final-year) university students, with particular emphasis on examination, language, mathematics, and social anxiety, along with gender-based differences. A quantitative descriptive survey design was employed, and data were collected from 340 students of the University of Okara selected from the Faculties of Education, Computing, and Life Sciences. An adapted questionnaire using a five-point Likert scale was administered, and the instrument demonstrated high reliability (Cronbach’s alpha = .896). Descriptive statistics and independent sample t-tests were used for data analysis through SPSS.

The results indicated that overall learning anxiety among university students was above average, with senior students exhibiting significantly higher overall anxiety than novice students. Gender-wise analysis revealed that male senior students experienced higher overall anxiety than male novices, while differences among female students were largely insignificant. Examination anxiety showed no significant overall difference between novice and senior students; however, male novices and female seniors reported higher levels of examination anxiety. Language anxiety was significantly higher among senior students across both genders, whereas mathematics anxiety showed no overall academic-level difference but displayed notable gender variations. Social anxiety was found to be significantly higher among senior students, particularly males. The findings underscore that learning anxiety is multidimensional and influenced by academic level, gender, and specific learning domains, emphasizing the need for targeted and context-specific interventions in higher education.