Explorando la relación entre ansiedad estado, género y rendimiento académico en estudiantes de educación secundaria

The relationship between state anxiety and academic performance was analyzed in a study involving 344 Spanish secondary school students (M= 13.66; SD= 1.184). The sample consisted of a balanced proportion of boys (49%) and girls (51%) from two educational institutions -one public and one semi-private. To examine gender differences and evaluate both direct and interactive effects, Mann-Whitney U tests and linear regression analyses were conducted. The STAI state anxiety scale was utilized alongside average grades for this analysis. The results indicated a significant negative correlation between state anxiety and academic performance. Additionally, girls exhibited noticeably higher levels of state anxiety compared to boys. The study also revealed both direct and interactive effects of gender and anxiety on academic performance. These findings underscore the importance of addressing anxiety in secondary education, emphasizing the need for initiatives that focus on developing emotional competencies.