Nursing students' test anxiety and academic self-efficacy, dishonesty and performance: A structural equation model

To investigate the interrelationships among test anxiety, academic self-efficacy, academic dishonesty, and academic performance.

Students' test anxiety and its adverse impacts on academic performance is well-documented globally. However, this study is the first to examine the mediating role of academic self-efficacy between test anxiety and academic dishonesty.

Cross-sectional-correlational design.

Nursing students (n = 521) were consecutively recruited to participate from October 2024 to January 2025. Three standardized scales were used to collect data and were analyzed using covariance-based structural equation modeling.

Test anxiety was negatively correlated with academic self-efficacy (β = -0.38, p = 0.001) and academic performance (β = -0.24, p = 0.001) while positively associated with academic dishonesty (β = -0.51, p = 0.001). Academic self-efficacy was negatively correlated with academic dishonesty (β = -0.13, p = 0.012). Academic self-efficacy mediated between test anxiety and academic dishonesty (β = 0.05, p = 0.016). The estimated variance of academic self-efficacy was 14.79 %, which was explained by test anxiety, while academic dishonesty had a variance of 31.48 %, measured by both test anxiety and academic self-efficacy. Finally, academic performance had an estimated variance of 5.86 % explained by test anxiety only.

Nursing students' test anxiety depletes their academic self-efficacy and academic performance while intensifying academic dishonesty. Academic self-efficacy mitigates academic dishonesty and demonstrates a mediating role between test anxiety and academic dishonesty.