Mechanisms of change in a brief intervention to reduce academic performance anxiety in high-school students

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Reference

Yale-Soulière G, Campeau G, Bernique K, Turgeon L, Binette-Laporte F. (2024). Mécanismes de changement d’une intervention brève pour réduire l’anxiété de performance scolaire chez les adolescents. Revue de psychoéducation, 53(1), 26-57.

Abstract

Test anxiety affects about 15% of students and has a negative impact on their psychological and academic functioning. Several programs showing promising effects have been developed to intervene with these adolescents. However, no study seems to have tested the change mechanisms of these programs. This study aims to analyze the specific mechanisms and in-session processes of the Pastel program, a group program consisting of six one-hour workshops aimed at reducing test anxiety, through semi-structured interviews conducted with 21 secondary 4 and 5 students (85% identifying as female) and nine facilitators (78% identifying as female). Initially, a hypothetico-deductive approach was used to examine the change mechanisms of the program, and then, an inductive approach was used to identify other potential processes. Thematic analyses were used to identify main and sub-themes based on recurring patterns in the interviews. Thus, perceived changes were explained by specific change mechanisms (e.g., reduction of cognitive distortions, improvement in problem-solving abilities, enhancement of organizational and study skills, etc.) and in-session processes (e.g., group format, motivation and engagement, or relational patterns). These results validate the change model of the Pastel program and more broadly, the usefulness of the different strategies used in programs targeting the reduction of test anxiety.

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