Management and Science University BTESL Students' Perceptions towards Anxiety in Oral Presentation

Abstract

Regardless of age, students often experience anxiety in oral presentations. This quantitative study investigates the perceptions of students towards anxiety in oral presentation in a tertiary educational context. It aims to examine students’ perceptions of anxiety in oral presentations and the factors affecting anxiety in oral presentation. A total of three hundred and two students taking Bachelor in Teaching English as a Second Language (BTESL) in Management and Science University, Malaysia participated in this study by answering an adapted questionnaire with two sections: demographic and anxiety in oral presentation. The items under anxiety in oral presentation revealed students’ perceptions towards anxiety in oral presentation and factors affecting anxiety in oral presentation. Collected data were analyzed through Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). Results showed that the respondents perceived anxiety in oral presentation to be negative. Moreover, there were six factors affecting anxiety in oral presentation which were preparation, number of presentations, teacher’s feedback, audience’s attention, self-confidence and make mistakes. Thus, the results concluded that the students perceived anxiety in oral presentation to be negative and perceived that the major factor affecting their anxiety was preparation.