Stage Fright to Scholarly Flight: The Impact of Public Speaking Anxiety and Fear of Negative Evaluation on Academic Performance in University Students

Public speaking anxiety is increasingly prevalent among students, adversely affecting their academic performance, particularly in oral presentations and group discussions. However, the impact of fear of negative evaluation as a mediator in this context has not been thoroughly examined among university students. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the adverse impact of public speaking anxiety on academic performance, with a specific focus on the mediating factor of fear of negative evaluation. Employing a correlational research design and convenient sampling, data were collected from students aged 18 to 25 (M=20.67, SD=2.12). The study employed three measures: the Public Speaking Anxiety Scale, Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale (Revised) and Academic Achievement Scale. Correlational analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between public speaking anxiety and fear of negative evaluation. However, fear of negative evaluation significantly and negatively correlated with academic performance. Mediation analysis depicts that direct and total effect of public speaking anxiety on academic performance is significantly negative despite indirect path is insignificant. There were no significant gender differences observed in public speaking anxiety, fear of negative evaluation, and academic performance. However, women scored higher on public speaking anxiety (M=59.86, SD=7.9) and fear of negative evaluation (M=39.05, SD=10.18) compared to men. Men scored higher in academic performance (M=16.45, SD=7.51) than women. The study discussed recommendations, limitations, and implications for the benefit of students.