Student fears of oral presentations and public speaking in higher education: a qualitative survey

Abstract

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.

Exploring Fear of Public Speaking Through Social Cognitive Theory

“…Learners employ these strategies at varying degrees to help them achieve communicative goals whenever they face problems in their interactions. Grieve et. al (2021), conducted a qualitative study on fears of oral presentations and public speaking among forty-six university students of the West of England University, Bristol.…”

Student Perceptions of the Fairness of Video Presentation Grading in the Online EFL Classroom

“…However, anxiety plays an important role in oral presentations. Grieve, Woodley, Hunt, and McKay (2021) noted that fear of live performances could hurt a student's university experience and be a factor in mental health and wellbeing issues. Dellah, Zabidin, Nordin, Amanah, and Atan (2020) found that student English proficiency level substantially affected the anxiety felt when speaking.…”

Engineering students� English public speaking: Why is it a nerve-wracking experience?

“…Another affective factor that influences students' public speaking anxiety is having negative experience in doing public speaking and oral presentation. They might deal with fear of being judged (worried of other people thought); having physical symptoms (shaking hands, tongue-tied, panic attack, getting blushed, dried throat, and sweaty hands); feeling uncertain about the topic discussed that relates to fear of audience negative reaction; and negative effect of students experience in higher education which affects their class interaction and learning process (Grieve et al, 2021). These affective factors either external or internal, can make students feel uncomfortable speaking in front of many people that are usually called as having public speaking anxiety or glossophobia as Hancock et al (2010) refers to.…”

“…, andGrieve et al (2021) teachers' evaluation toward students' speaking practice can also develop students' speaking anxiety. The interview finding related to the assessment's pressure on students that in line with those researchers' statements are: -ISSN: 2528-4479, P-ISSN: 2477-5304 http://jurnal.unissula.ac.id/index.php/edulite DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.30659/e.7.1.82-99 whatever English accent, it is not that simple.…”