Examining the relationship between teachers democratic classroom management styles and students test anxiety and school burnout

This study aims to investigate the relationship between teachers' democratic classroom management styles and students' test anxiety and school burnout. The research was designed as a descriptive and correlational study within the framework of quantitative research methods. The study population consisted of 9th, 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students enrolled in public secondary schools in Ağrı province during the 2024–2025 academic year. The sample group comprised 474 students selected through convenience sampling. Data were collected using the Personal Information Form, Classroom Management Approach Scale, Westside Test Anxiety Scale, and School Burnout Scale. To examine the construct validity of the measurement tools, Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was conducted, while the reliability of the scales was assessed using Cronbach's Alpha internal consistency coefficients. The research findings revealed that there were no significant differences in students' perceptions of democratic classroom management, test anxiety, and school burnout levels with respect to gender. However, significant differences were observed in both test anxiety and burnout levels across grade levels. Specifically, 9th and 10th grade students exhibited higher levels of test anxiety compared to 12th grade students, while 11th grade students demonstrated higher levels of burnout than 9th grade students. The results of the correlation analysis indicated weak but significant negative relationships between democratic classroom management and both test anxiety and school burnout. Moreover, test anxiety accounted for approximately 20% of the variance in school burnout, whereas democratic classroom management explained about 6%. Overall, these findings suggest that students' test anxiety levels and their teachers' classroom management approaches are important factors influencing school burnout.