The effectiveness of meta-cognitive treatment on test anxiety in students

The present study has aimed to examine the effectiveness of counseling and the meta- cognitive approach on reducing test anxiety in students.

The present study was a quasi-experimental practical research, along with a pre-tests and post-tests design and control groups. Forty students were selected by using a randomly cluster sampling method among the fourth grade high school female students in Isfahan. These students were randomly replaced into two groups: the control (n=20) and meta-cognitive therapy groups (n=20). Both groups were pre-tested for test anxiety inventory by Abolghasemi and coworkers. Afterwards the test group was affected by meta-cognitive therapy in 9 sessions while the control group did not receive any training. Finally, tests were performed with the same tools.

The covariance analysis showed that the meta-cognitive training group significantly reduced the symptoms of test anxiety in the experimental group.

By informing people of the meta-cognitive processing system and the challenge of positive and negative meta-cognitive beliefs, meta-cognitive interventions are effective in reducing test anxiety in female students.