Keyword: Bangladesh

ABSTRACT: The effectiveness of inclusive education depends on the specific characteristics of the implementation context. Therefore, studying the role of teachers’ characteristics on inclusion remains a significant concern worldwide. This research investigated the difference between the attitudes of secondary school teachers in Bangladesh regarding including students with intellectual disabilities based on their characteristics. Following a quantitative approach, an adapted survey questionnaire was used. The study purposively determined the participation of 55 general and special education teachers from 8 schools. Positive attitudes toward inclusion are more prevalent among female teachers, special education teachers, those who have previously completed a course in special education, and those who have had fewer students with intellectual disabilities in their classrooms, according to the findings. No statistically significant difference was observed in the teachers’ attitudes according to their level of teaching experience and the subject matter they taught. Explanations of the findings are provided, along with recommendations.

ABSTRACT: Tests or examinations are an essential part of education, creating test anxiety among students. Several studies identified a negative correlation between test anxiety and Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) students’ academic performance in higher education, and female students in STEM subjects showed more test anxiety before and during an examination. Studies also identified that STEM students could pay less attention to their examinations due to test anxiety. Such evidence in the context of Bangladeshi universities is yet to be understood. This study investigated the level of test anxiety among Bangladeshi university students of STEM subjects, including gender differences and the relationship between test anxiety and academic performance. We considered the quantitative research design to understand the status of test anxiety among undergraduate STEM students. A survey was conducted online from two STEM departments of a private university in Bangladesh using the shorter version of the CAEX test anxiety instrument, and a total of 246 undergraduate students participated. The findings show that Bangladeshi undergraduate STEM students generally felt slight anxiety during or before the examination. Female students were more anxious before or during a test than male students, and no significant relationship was found between test anxiety and academic achievement. The study reflects the need to conduct further research to understand the physiological, cognitive, and psychological factors leading to test anxiety among university students, as well as establishes a demand to identify the reasons behind having no relationship between test anxiety and students’ academic performance.