Measurement Invariance of Test Anxiety Across Four School Subjects

Abstract

School-subject-specific test anxieties have been widely examined, but there is a lack of analyses of measurement invariance of test anxiety across subjects. In order to preclude a mixture of test anxiety construct differences across school subjects with actual test anxiety differences and to ensure meaningful comparisons of test anxiety across school subjects, we examined such measurement invariance. Two test anxiety factors (worry and emotionality) were inspected across four school subjects (mathematics, physics, German, and English) in a sample of secondary school students (N = 1,280). Strict measurement invariance was ascertained (i.e., comparable factor loadings, intercepts, and residual variances of the items of worry and emotionality factors across school subjects). The correlations of subject-specific test anxiety factors with subject-specific academic self-concepts and grades showed a convergent/divergent correlation pattern, thereby supporting criterion-related validity. The results of this study provide insights into the comparability of test anxiety assessments across school subjects.