The Effect of Gender, Parents' Education, and School Type on EFL Learners' Anxiety

Purpose: Numerous studies have been conducted on foreign language classroom anxiety (FLCA); however, research on the effect of parents' education, school type, and gender on EFL learners' anxiety in a single study is scarce. Therefore, to fill this niche, the present study aimed at investigating the impact of the above variables on FLCA. Research Method: This exploratory research design was implemented through a survey, which was used to explore anxiety level among 96 male and female students in two different high schools: public and private. The effect of parents' education on FLCA was also investigated. A Turkish version of the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale was used for collecting the required data. T-test and ANOVA were employed to explore any statistically significant differences in participants' FLCA according to gender, type of school, and parents' education. Findings: The findings indicate that female participants experience more FLCA than males. The results also revealed that participants attending public school experienced more FLCA than those attending private school. Furthermore, students whose parents had a primary education suffered most from foreign language anxiety. Implications for Research and Practice: The study findings suggest that language teachers should be made aware of foreign language anxiety and should try to create a positive and anxiety-free classroom environment where students would feel relaxed and willing to communicate without being worried about their performance.