Reducing Science Anxiety Using Kahoot Mobile App in Teaching Physical Science

Education

This study investigated the impact of the use of Kahoot mobile application on students’ science-related anxiety and validated the quality of developed lesson plans across multiple dimensions. It (1) determined the level of science anxiety of students before and after the intervention, (2) developed and validated lessons in Physical Science, integrating Kahoot mobile application, (3) tested the effectiveness of the intervention in reducing the level of science anxiety of the students, 4) described the experiences of the students on the intervention, and lastly, (5) proposed enhanced lesson exemplars on Physical Science, integrating Kahoot mobile application. A total of 27 students participated, with their anxiety levels measured before and after the intervention using indicators of general feelings toward science, performance anxiety, and communication anxiety. Lesson plans (DLP1–DLP5) were evaluated by three expert validators for manuscript quality, content, language use, illustrative materials, and social sensitivity. Findings revealed that students’ anxiety decreased significantly across all domains. General feelings toward science improved modestly, performance anxiety, particularly in public problem-solving, and communication anxiety in oral presentations and written reports also declined. However, reverse-scored items indicated that confidence and enjoyment in science did not improve proportionally, suggesting that anxiety reduction alone does not guarantee increased motivation or positive affect. Lesson validation results demonstrated that the materials were largely free from conceptual, factual, computational, and language errors, with only minor typographical issues noted. Content was clear, scaffolded, and provided opportunities for feedback, though integration of local contexts was inconsistent. Language use was appropriate, but academic vocabulary lacked contextualization. Illustrative materials were consistently age-appropriate and technically sound, while social content was free from bias, discrimination, and inappropriate references. Overall, the study concludes that validated lesson plans paired with targeted interventions can effectively reduce science-related anxiety.

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