The study of the effects of the leisure time activities on test achievements and anxiety levels of 12th grade students preparing for the university exam

ABSTRACT THE STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF THE LEISURE TIME ACTIVITIES ON TEST ACHIEVEMENTS AND ANXIETY LEVELS OF 12th GRADE STUDENTS PREPARING FOR THE UNIVERSITY EXAMMehtap ERDOĞANMaster of Science Thesis, Department of PsychologySupervisor: Yard. Doç Dr. Muzaffer ŞAHİNSeptember, 2012 - 101 pagesIn this study examines the effects of the leisure time activities on anxiety and achievement.The research "The achievement of the 12th grade students who prepare for the university exam who feels more anxious will be lower than the ones who does not feel anxious.""The students who do leisure time activities have lower exam, state and trait anxiety.""Students who does leisure time activity are more successful than the students who does not""Social activities, physical activities are more effective than artistic activities on reducing anxiety" to be organized to examine of these hypothesis and these hypothesis are based on the observation related to the more axious students before this research; also the findings and views on the literature review that has done after the research for anxiety, developmental processes of adolescence, success, detection of success and leisure activities on students. In addition to this, the difference between the anxiety and success levels of the students who go to last class of private or public schools who do leisure time activities and who do not participate in leisure time activities have been examined with a questionnaire.In this study, a questionnaire, including personal questions and questions that related to participation to the leisure time activities, state, trait and exam anxiety scales were applied. Data were analyzed using SPSS program.The findings of the study can be summarized as follows.Our sample group, consists a total of 513 students from subsidiaries of a Private Teaching Institutions, 232 of them participates leisure time activities and 281 of them do not participate leisure time activities. According to the research that has been done for our first hypothesis, the mean difference is not significant also the successful students have less exam anxiety and state anxiety than the students who have moderate and mediocre success but the successful students have higher trait anxiety.When we examine the hypothesis of the exam, state and trait anxiety difference between the students who participate the leisure activities and who does not: On the average students who participate leisure time activities have less exam and trait anxiety and have higher levels of state anxiety. No significant difference found on trait anxiety levels although there is a significant difference between exam anxiety and state anxiety.On our last hypothesis we have found a significant difference between the effects of the artistic activities and sports activities, the successful students who participate sports activities significantly have less exam and trait anxiety means than the students who participate artistic activities. The successful students who does sports activities have more state anxiety mean than the ones who does not.In addition to this, the means of the exam and trait anxiety of the students who are all success levels, that is successful, moderate and mediocre levels, and does leisure time activities have been found less 3-4 days a week than 1-2 days, 5 days or everyday a week. Besides this, between participation to leisure time activities and success have not been found relationshipIn this study, when female and male students anxiety means have been compared, to be found that female students have high means of exam and trait anxiety with respect to male students. On the other hand, state anxiety mean of male students are higher than female students and this result is statistically significant.In this research, there aren?t big differences between private and public school in terms of students? trait anxiety means. the students who study in public schools have higher exam and trait anxiety means than students who study in private schools whilst private school students has higher means of state anxiety than public school studens. To be thought that it is incorrect to interpret with these datas because of the fact that sample rates of the groups is very different.Some conclusion have been observed as a result of the statistical research when considering the average in line with the hypothesis put forward, although some parts of the hypothesis have not been found significant. In this study, it has been found that participating leisure time activities is important. In addition to this, female students,public school students and the students who participate in artistic activities have higher levels of trait and exam anxiety; whereas male students, private schools students and the students who participate in sports activities have higher levels of state anxiety, these are important findings which might even become subjects of future research.Keywords: Leisure time activities, achievement, anxiety, student preparing for the university exam