Neuropsychological study of visual functionality, learning strategies and anxiety in academic performance

Abstract

In the current educational context, neuropsychological aspects are very important given their impact on academic performance. Starting from this premise, the objective of this research is the study of the relationship between saccadic eye movements, learning strategies and the level of anxiety, as well as its influence on language performance. The sample consisted of 69 students aged 12-15 years, grouped according to their performance. It is a non-experimental, descriptive study of correlation type and comparison of groups. On the one hand, an inverse relationship has been found between the slow reading (King-Devick's saccadic movement test (1976)) and the learning support strategies measured with the ACRA Scale (Román and Gallego, 2008) and between the support strategies and the anxiety-state level, measured with the STAIC (Spielberger, Gorsuch y Lushene, 1970). On the other hand, students with high performance have lower anxiety-trait levels. Therefore, this study highlights the importance of interventions, which integrate the neuropsychological and educational perspective, focused on the improvement of learning strategies and visual functionality in order to promote a decrease in anxiety and an improvement in the academic performance of students.