The effect of deep breathing exercise on exam anxiety of 8thgrade students

Purpose: The study was conducted as a randomized controlled experiment to examine the effect of deep breathing exercises on the exam anxiety of 8th grade students. Method: The universe of the study consisted of 8th grade students studying in two sociodemographically similar middle schools in Sarıyer district of Istanbul between March and June 2024, and the sample consisted of 37 students (21 in the experimental group, 16 in the control group) who complied with the selection rules. The exam anxiety score was determined with the Westside Exam Anxiety Scale (WSAS). The students in the experimental group were given deep breathing exercises for 20 minutes each session, 2 days a week for 6 weeks, and the students in the control group were advised to listen to their favorite music at any time they wanted, 2 days a week. WSAS scores were measured at the beginning, in the 3rd week of the application, and in the 6th week. Before the application, the students filled out the Parental Attitude Scale, and their mothers filled out the State and Trait Anxiety Scale. Findings: In the study, the students and their families in the experimental and control groups were similar in terms of descriptive characteristics (p>0.05). The WSAS scores of the students in both the experimental and control groups measured before the intervention were found to be significantly higher than the WSAS scores measured in the 3rd and 6th weeks (Experimental group=F=12.738; p<0.001 Control group=F=11.417; p<0.001). No difference was found between the WSAS scores of the groups (p>0.05). There was no difference between the StateTrait Anxiety scores of the mothers in both groups and the parental attitudes evaluated by the students (p>0.05). No significant relationship was found between the parental attitudes perceived by the students and the LGS scores of the students and the WSAS scores (p>0.05). It was found that the LGS exam scores of the students in the experimental group were significantly higher than the control group (p<0.001). Results: Deep breathing exercises and listening to the student's favorite music are effective in reducing the exam anxiety of the 8th grade students who will take the high school entrance exam. It is recommended that students apply these two techniques to cope with test anxiety and be encouraged by their teachers and families.