Student anxiety and teacher support before national test during the last semester in primary school : A qualitative study from a teacher’s perspective based on semi-structured interviews

In today’s schools, high demands are placed on students to perform good results even in primary school, and national tests play a central role in assessing their knowledge. This means that students face increasing expectations, particularly in relation to national tests. The tests can cause anxiety and stress, especially for younger students. Teachers’ role in preparing and supporting students for these tests is therefore crucial for a secure learning environment. The purpose of this study is to analyze how teachers address students’ concerns and how they prepare students for national tests in third grade. The study employs qualitative methods to fulfill its purpose, with semi-structured interviews as a method to collect data. The results identified three main themes (i) pedagogical preparation, (ii) addressing students’ anxiety, and (iii) strategies and challenges for reducing stress before national tests. These themes highlight how teachers foster a sense of security and support students' learning in test situations. This study shows that teachers’ collegial collaboration and shared goals of reducing stress and creating a fair testing situation are crucial, despite the organizational obstacles they may face. The results show that teachers pay attention and respond to students’ anxiety. Anxiety can be expressed as changes in behavior, verbally or in body language. The teachers use a combination of didactic and relational strategies, for example do they integrate test-like tasks and create a structured learning environment to reduce students’ stress in and before a national test. Furthermore, teachers work with didactic and relational strategies, including breathing exercises and conversations, to create a safe and supportive test experience, despite organizational challenges such as lack of time and resources.