The Effects of Breathing Exercises Administered to Associate Degree Students on Test Anxiety and Academic Achievement

NCT07145021 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: ISTANBUL MEDIPOL UNIVERSITY
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 60
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

This study aims to examine the effects of breathing exercises administered to associate degree students on test anxiety and academic achievement. Primary Research Question: Do breathing exercises administered to associate degree students reduce test anxiety and improve academic achievement? Researchers will compare the effects of breathing exercises on test anxiety and academic achievement by using a control group (no breathing exercise intervention) and an intervention group. Participants: All students from a vocational school who consent to participate will be administered the Westside Test Anxiety Scale. Students with high anxiety scores will be assigned to the intervention group. The intervention group will receive breathing exercise training delivered by a certified Breathing Coach (the researcher). Breathing exercises will be conducted for 40 minutes per week, over a 6-week period. Students will be asked to maintain a breathing exercise log. Following the end-of-term examinations, data collection forms will be re-administered and results will be compared between pre- and post-intervention assessments.

Conditions

Breath Exercise; Test Anxiety; Higher Education Students; Academic Achievement

Keywords

Breathing exercises, test anxiety, academic achievement, associate degree students, stress management, higher education

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Change in Test Anxiety Scores as measured by the Westside Test Anxiety Scale (WTAS)

  The Westside Test Anxiety Scale (WTAS) will be administered to all students who volunteer to participate in the study. Students with scores one point above the mean or higher will be considered to have high test anxiety. Those identified as having high anxiety will be randomized into intervention and control groups. The intervention group will receive breathing exercises once per week for 45 minutes over a period of 8 weeks, in addition to receiving information about test anxiety and coping strategies. Breathing exercises, such as the 4-4-4-4 technique and the 4-7-8 technique, will be taught and practiced with the students.

  6 months

• End-of-Term Course Exam Score (%)

  Academic performance will be evaluated using the official end-of-term course exam score reported by the institution (0-100%). The outcome will be summarized as the mean score at Week 8 and between-group difference.

  6 months

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Adherence to Breathing Exercise Intervention (% of Planned Sessions Attended)

  6 Month

Study Arms (2)

Breathing Exercise Intervention Group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Behavioral: Breathing Exercise Intervention

Control Group (No Intervention)

NO INTERVENTION

Interventions

Breathing Exercise Intervention BEHAVIORAL

Participants will receive guided breathing exercise training conducted by a certified breathing coach. The intervention consists of weekly 40-minute sessions over a 6-week period, aimed at reducing test anxiety and improving academic performance. Participants will also maintain a breathing exercise log throughout the study.

Breathing Exercise Intervention Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Vocational school students
• Obtaining informed consent from students
• No language, hearing, intellectual, or psychological impairments
• Ability to speak and understand Turkish
• Willingness to participate in the study

You may not qualify if:

• Presence of any chronic disease
• Use of any psychiatric medication

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa: lead

Study Officials

• Minel YILDIRIM

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Minel YILDIRIM

CONTACT

+90507-107-48-02; minelyldrm@hotmail.com

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: SUPPORTIVE CARE
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Lecturer

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 10, 2025
• First Posted: August 28, 2025
• Study Start: September 22, 2025
• Primary Completion: January 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): July 1, 2026
• Last Updated: August 28, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-08

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share