Student Fears of Oral Presentations and Public Speaking in Higher Education: A Qualitative Survey

Fuente: ERIC Institute of Education Sciences
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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Grieve, R., Woodley, J., Hunt, S. E., McKay, A.
Format: Recurso educativo Open Access
Language:en
Published: 2021
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author Grieve, R.
Woodley, J.
Hunt, S. E.
McKay, A.
author_facet Grieve, R.
Woodley, J.
Hunt, S. E.
McKay, A.
Grieve, R.
Woodley, J.
Hunt, S. E.
McKay, A.
collection Education Resources Information Center
contents Student Fears of Oral Presentations and Public Speaking in Higher Education: A Qualitative Survey Grieve, R. Woodley, J. Hunt, S. E. McKay, A. Public Speaking Higher Education Fear Anxiety Symptoms (Individual Disorders) Student Experience Undergraduate Students Graduate Students Coping Academic Support Services Self Efficacy Foreign Countries Speeches Oral presentations and public speaking are an important aspect of the student experience in the United Kingdom higher education. Many modules (self-contained units normally within a programme of study) use presentations as a form of assessment and require students to verbally engage in small and large group settings to enhance learning. Previous research evidence has indicated that many students experience fear in public speaking. The aims of this qualitative survey were two-fold. First, it sought to gather further insight into the fears experienced and strategies used by students who fear public speaking, including oral presentations. The second objective was to determine whether their fear affected their experience of higher education. A qualitative survey comprising four open-ended questions was completed by 46 undergraduate and postgraduate students with a fear of public speaking from the University of the West of England (UWE), Bristol. All participants were attending one of the Stand Up and Be Heard (SUBH) UWE library-based workshops for fear of public speaking. Thematic analysis was used to identify the following six themes, namely: fear of being judged, physical symptoms, uncertainty about the topic, negative effect on university experience, practice and preparation, and more practical support needed. The results of this survey identify the specific fears students have in public speaking and provide evidence of the overall negative effect on their higher education experience. This survey provides further evidence that higher education institutions should acknowledge public speaking fear among some students and provide more support in oral presentation assessments.
format Recurso educativo Open Access
id eric_EJ1314131
institution ERIC Institute of Education Sciences
language en
publishDate 2021
record_format eric
spellingShingle Student Fears of Oral Presentations and Public Speaking in Higher Education: A Qualitative Survey
Grieve, R.
Woodley, J.
Hunt, S. E.
McKay, A.
Public Speaking
Higher Education
Fear
Anxiety
Symptoms (Individual Disorders)
Student Experience
Undergraduate Students
Graduate Students
Coping
Academic Support Services
Self Efficacy
Foreign Countries
Speeches
Student Fears of Oral Presentations and Public Speaking in Higher Education: A Qualitative Survey Grieve, R. Woodley, J. Hunt, S. E. McKay, A. Public Speaking Higher Education Fear Anxiety Symptoms (Individual Disorders) Student Experience Undergraduate Students Graduate Students Coping Academic Support Services Self Efficacy Foreign Countries Speeches Oral presentations and public speaking are an important aspect of the student experience in the United Kingdom higher education. Many modules (self-contained units normally within a programme of study) use presentations as a form of assessment and require students to verbally engage in small and large group settings to enhance learning. Previous research evidence has indicated that many students experience fear in public speaking. The aims of this qualitative survey were two-fold. First, it sought to gather further insight into the fears experienced and strategies used by students who fear public speaking, including oral presentations. The second objective was to determine whether their fear affected their experience of higher education. A qualitative survey comprising four open-ended questions was completed by 46 undergraduate and postgraduate students with a fear of public speaking from the University of the West of England (UWE), Bristol. All participants were attending one of the Stand Up and Be Heard (SUBH) UWE library-based workshops for fear of public speaking. Thematic analysis was used to identify the following six themes, namely: fear of being judged, physical symptoms, uncertainty about the topic, negative effect on university experience, practice and preparation, and more practical support needed. The results of this survey identify the specific fears students have in public speaking and provide evidence of the overall negative effect on their higher education experience. This survey provides further evidence that higher education institutions should acknowledge public speaking fear among some students and provide more support in oral presentation assessments.
title Student Fears of Oral Presentations and Public Speaking in Higher Education: A Qualitative Survey
topic Public Speaking
Higher Education
Fear
Anxiety
Symptoms (Individual Disorders)
Student Experience
Undergraduate Students
Graduate Students
Coping
Academic Support Services
Self Efficacy
Foreign Countries
Speeches
url https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1314131