| The purpose of this study is to evaluate the extent to which special education teachers experience anxiety administering the different versions of the Criterion Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) and Criterion Referenced Competency Test-Modified (CRCT-M). This human service profession (education) was selected because there is very little literature which explores the anxiety levels of teachers, especially special education teachers. The sample population consisted of 68 special education teachers from a school district in Georgia. This non-experimental, convenience study used a quantitative approach. The methodology for this study included a Multi-Dimensional Anxiety Questionnaire (MAQ); data collection began in August 2014 and was collected for 3 months. A two-way ANOVA showed that the level of anxiety increased when special education teachers administered the CRCT rather than the CRCT-M. Also, teachers' level of anxiety increased when special education teachers had less years of teaching in dealing with this standardized testing issue. Furthermore, cognitive theory was applied in this study; it implies that individuals process information about their environment, the way they see themselves and their world. |
