Impact of Test Anxiety and Coping Strategies Among Secondary School Students’ Engagement in Mathematics

Abstract

This study examines how test anxiety and coping strategies affect mathematics engagement among secondary school students. The research was carried out in UC #10, District Bin Qasim, Landhi, and included 41 private schools across Karachi with a student enrollment of approximately 2,516 (BSEK enrollment). With the aid of stratified random sampling, 63 students were chosen. Through Pearson correlation and moderation analysis, the results indicated that while coping strategies buffer some of the negative effects of test anxiety on engagement, high test anxiety disengages students from active participation. Realistic recommendations are offered to address low engagement at the school level through administrative policy changes.