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Beyond Performance: Emotions before and after Semi-High-Stakes Mathematics Testing among School-Aged Students

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Title: Beyond Performance: Emotions before and after Semi-High-Stakes Mathematics Testing among School-Aged Students
Language: English
Authors: Reetta Kyynäräinen (ORCID 0009-0000-1592-7384), Santeri Holopainen (ORCID 0000-0002-6777-6247), Jari Metsämuuronen (ORCID 0000-0001-6027-0799), Umar Bin Qushem (ORCID 0000-0003-0845-3285), Mikko-Jussi Laakso (ORCID 0000-0001-9163-2676), Katarina Alanko (ORCID 0000-0003-0513-377X)
Source: British Journal of Educational Psychology. 2026 96(2):648-673.
Availability: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 26
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Elementary Education
Secondary Education
Descriptors: Psychological Patterns, High Stakes Tests, Mathematics Tests, Emotional Response, Elementary School Students, Secondary School Students, Foreign Countries, Computer Assisted Testing, Student Attitudes, Gender Differences, Test Anxiety, Mathematics Achievement
Geographic Terms: Finland
DOI: 10.1111/bjep.70043
ISSN: 0007-0998
2044-8279
Abstract: Background: Previous research has shown that testing differs significantly from other classroom activities and is associated with heightened negative emotions and lower levels of positive emotions. However, relatively little is known about students' emotions surrounding testing, particularly in higher-stakes assessment settings. Aims: This study aims to examine how students' levels of four emotions (i.e., happiness, relaxation, anxiety and boredom) develop from pre to-post-test, and it investigates how individual factors (i.e., gender, grade level, perceived mathematical competence and test performance), impact students' emotional states and moderate their emotional trajectories. Sample: The sample (N = 2179) consists of 692 third-grade, 605 sixth-grade, 413 eighth-grade and 469 ninth-grade students from various schools across Finland, who participated in a digital, semi-high-stakes, end-of-year mathematics assessment. Methods: An in-situ approach was used to assess students' emotions immediately before and after testing. Analyses were conducted using linear mixed-effects modelling to account for the repeated-measurements structure. Results and Conclusions: Students generally reported lower positive emotions after the assessment. The measured individual factors significantly predict both students' emotional states and their development during the assessment. Boys reported higher levels of positive emotions and lower anxiety, while younger students remained more positive during the assessment. Students who perceived themselves as competent experienced higher levels of positive and lower levels of negative emotions, whereas students who performed poorly showed a decline in positive emotions during the assessment. Future research could focus on whether support for emotional regulation affects student performance in test situations.
Abstractor: As Provided
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1505303
Database: ERIC
FullText Text:
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  Data: Beyond Performance: Emotions before and after Semi-High-Stakes Mathematics Testing among School-Aged Students
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  Data: English
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Reetta+Kyynäräinen%22">Reetta Kyynäräinen</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0009-0000-1592-7384">0009-0000-1592-7384</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Santeri+Holopainen%22">Santeri Holopainen</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6777-6247">0000-0002-6777-6247</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Jari+Metsämuuronen%22">Jari Metsämuuronen</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6027-0799">0000-0001-6027-0799</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Umar+Bin+Qushem%22">Umar Bin Qushem</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0845-3285">0000-0003-0845-3285</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Mikko-Jussi+Laakso%22">Mikko-Jussi Laakso</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9163-2676">0000-0001-9163-2676</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Katarina+Alanko%22">Katarina Alanko</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0513-377X">0000-0003-0513-377X</externalLink>)
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22British+Journal+of+Educational+Psychology%22"><i>British Journal of Educational Psychology</i></searchLink>. 2026 96(2):648-673.
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  Data: Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us
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  Data: Y
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  Data: 26
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  Label: Publication Date
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  Data: 2026
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  Data: Journal Articles<br />Reports - Research
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  Label: Education Level
  Group: Audnce
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Elementary+Education%22">Elementary Education</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="EL" term="%22Secondary+Education%22">Secondary Education</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Psychological+Patterns%22">Psychological Patterns</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22High+Stakes+Tests%22">High Stakes Tests</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mathematics+Tests%22">Mathematics Tests</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Emotional+Response%22">Emotional Response</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Elementary+School+Students%22">Elementary School Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Secondary+School+Students%22">Secondary School Students</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Foreign+Countries%22">Foreign Countries</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Computer+Assisted+Testing%22">Computer Assisted Testing</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Student+Attitudes%22">Student Attitudes</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Gender+Differences%22">Gender Differences</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Test+Anxiety%22">Test Anxiety</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Mathematics+Achievement%22">Mathematics Achievement</searchLink>
– Name: Subject
  Label: Geographic Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Finland%22">Finland</searchLink>
– Name: DOI
  Label: DOI
  Group: ID
  Data: 10.1111/bjep.70043
– Name: ISSN
  Label: ISSN
  Group: ISSN
  Data: 0007-0998<br />2044-8279
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: Background: Previous research has shown that testing differs significantly from other classroom activities and is associated with heightened negative emotions and lower levels of positive emotions. However, relatively little is known about students' emotions surrounding testing, particularly in higher-stakes assessment settings. Aims: This study aims to examine how students' levels of four emotions (i.e., happiness, relaxation, anxiety and boredom) develop from pre to-post-test, and it investigates how individual factors (i.e., gender, grade level, perceived mathematical competence and test performance), impact students' emotional states and moderate their emotional trajectories. Sample: The sample (N = 2179) consists of 692 third-grade, 605 sixth-grade, 413 eighth-grade and 469 ninth-grade students from various schools across Finland, who participated in a digital, semi-high-stakes, end-of-year mathematics assessment. Methods: An in-situ approach was used to assess students' emotions immediately before and after testing. Analyses were conducted using linear mixed-effects modelling to account for the repeated-measurements structure. Results and Conclusions: Students generally reported lower positive emotions after the assessment. The measured individual factors significantly predict both students' emotional states and their development during the assessment. Boys reported higher levels of positive emotions and lower anxiety, while younger students remained more positive during the assessment. Students who perceived themselves as competent experienced higher levels of positive and lower levels of negative emotions, whereas students who performed poorly showed a decline in positive emotions during the assessment. Future research could focus on whether support for emotional regulation affects student performance in test situations.
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  Data: 2026
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      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.1111/bjep.70043
    Languages:
      – Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 26
        StartPage: 648
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Psychological Patterns
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: High Stakes Tests
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Mathematics Tests
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      – SubjectFull: Emotional Response
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      – SubjectFull: Elementary School Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Secondary School Students
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      – SubjectFull: Foreign Countries
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Computer Assisted Testing
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Student Attitudes
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      – SubjectFull: Gender Differences
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      – SubjectFull: Test Anxiety
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      – SubjectFull: Mathematics Achievement
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      – SubjectFull: Finland
        Type: general
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      – TitleFull: Beyond Performance: Emotions before and after Semi-High-Stakes Mathematics Testing among School-Aged Students
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