The Effect of Test Anxiety on Vocabulary Test Performance among Iranian EFL Elementary Learners: The Role of Gender and Age

Over the past decade, extensive research has shown substantial growth in the desire to examine vocabulary acquisition, significantly contributing to language development. Although the effects of test anxiety can create a significant barrier, hindering English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners’ potential, there is a paucity regarding vocabulary acquisition and test anxiety. This study explores the impact of test anxiety on vocabulary test performance among Iranian EFL learners, focusing on gender and age differences. Using a quantitative approach, the study employed Spielberger’s Test Anxiety Inventory (۱۹۷۰) and Nation’s Vocabulary Size Test (۲۰۰۷) to assess the relationship between anxiety and vocabulary proficiency. The sample consisted of ۶۳ elementary EFL students—۳۰ males and ۳۳ females—aged ۱۰ to ۱۷, divided into two age groups: children (۱۰-۱۳) and adolescents (۱۴-۱۷). The study examined how test anxiety correlates with vocabulary size through linear regression and ANOVA and whether gender or age differences influenced this relationship. The results revealed a significant negative correlation between test anxiety and vocabulary scores, suggesting that higher anxiety levels are linked to lower vocabulary proficiency. However, ANOVA analysis found no significant differences between males and females, or across the two age groups, regarding anxiety or vocabulary acquisition. The implications of the findings highlight the need for educational strategies that address test anxiety and promote vocabulary development, creating a supportive and inclusive learning environment for all EFL learners. The findings contribute to the increasing research on test anxiety as a hindrance to vocabulary development.

کلیدواژه ها:

Age Differences ، EFL Learners ، Gender Differences ، Test Anxiety ، Vocabulary Test Performance. ، Age Differences ، EFL Learners ، Gender Differences ، Test Anxiety ، Vocabulary Test Performance.