The Mediating and Moderating Role of Social-Emotional Skills in the Relationship between Sports Participation and Test Anxiety

Purpose: Test anxiety is a prevalent issue among adolescents, prompting a need for effective coping mechanisms. Participation in sports, which is gaining recognition for its crucial role in alleviating test anxiety, may be effective due to its association with social-emotional skills. Moreover, students with diverse levels of social-emotional skills not only experience enjoyment in sports differently but also perceive test anxiety uniquely, leading to varying interpretations of the relationships between them. Due to the lack of direct evidence, therefore, this study aimed to explore the intricate relationships among sports participation, test anxiety, and social-emotional skills. Methods: Utilizing OECD data from 61,010 participants across 10 locations, all variable measurements were collected through the Survey on Social and Emotional Skills (SSES). Results: The results indicated that social-emotional skills mediated and moderated the relationship between sports participation and test anxiety. However, only lower- and medium-level social-emotional skills significantly weakened the negative correlation between sports participation and test anxiety. Conclusion: Social-emotional skills serve a dual function in the relationship between sports participation and test anxiety. Not only do they elucidate why sports participation can alleviate test anxiety, but they also act as regulators, moderating the extent of this alleviation. These findings provide valuable insights for educational interventions, underscoring the importance of sports participation and the cultivation of social-emotional skills in mitigating test anxiety.