Reading Anxiety among non-native Mandarin learners: An Investigation of Levels, Sources, and Pedagogical Pathways
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24191/a930nr10Keywords:
Mandarin as a foreign language, Reading anxiety, non-native Mandarin learners, Levels, Sources, Pedagogical pathwaysAbstract
This present study attempted to investigate the level and sources of reading anxiety among non-native Mandarin learners who study Mandarin at a public university, Malaysia. The study employing a quantitative design with 191 participants from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM). Data were collected using a questionnaire adapted from established scale namely Foreign Language Reading Anxiety (FLRAS). Findings reveal a high level of reading anxiety. General reading ability emerged as prominent contributors to anxiety. The primary contributing factors were identified as challenges in general reading ability, vocabulary, grammar, background cultural knowledge, and teaching methods. The significance of this study is its unique focus on multilingual ASEAN learner population learning Mandarin as a third language, a demographic never studied under the context of FLRA. The findings of this study provide crucial empirical validation for multi-dimensional anxiety models within a logographic language. Pedagogically, this study provides evidence-based imperatives for instructors to design focused strategies such as tailored vocabulary support, cultural knowledge development, and teaching practice that alleviate anxiety, to foster more effective and encouraging Mandarin reading environment.
References
Ali, K., Slade, A., Kay, E. J., Zahra, D., Chatterjee, A., & Tredwin, C. (2017). Application of Rasch analysis in the development and psychometric evaluation of dental undergraduates preparedness assessment scale. European Journal of Dental Education, 21(4), e135ΓÇôe141. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/eje.12236
Ali, K., Slade, A., Kay, E., Zahra, D., & Tredwin, C. (2017). Preparedness of undergraduate dental students in the United Kingdom: a national study. British Dental Journal, 222(6), 472ΓÇô477. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.2017.272
Altan, H., Gönder, H. Y., Demirel, E., Altan, A., Tunçdemir, A. R., Zahra, D., Al Maweri, S. A., & Ali, K. (2024). Readiness for clinical practice: Self-perceived confidence of final year dental students in Turkey - A multi-institutional study. MedEdPublish , 14(9).
Barnes, E., Bullock, A. D., Bailey, S. E. R., Cowpe, J. G., & Karaharju-Suvanto, T. (2012). A review of continuing professional development for dentists in Europe. European Journal of Dental Education, 16(3), 166ΓÇô178. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0579.2012.00737.x
Blanch-Hartigan, D. (2011). Medical studentsΓÇÖ self-assessment of performance: Results from three meta-analyses. Patient Education and Counseling, 84(1), 3ΓÇô9. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.PEC.2010.06.037
Burrows, R. S. (2018). Understanding self-assessment in undergraduate dental education. British Dental Journal, 224(11), 897ΓÇô900. https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.2018.437
Cate, Th. J. ten. (2016). Competency-based medical education and its competency frameworks. In martin Mulder (Ed.), Competence-based vocational and professional education: bridging the worlds of work and education / Martin Mulder, editor. (pp. 903ΓÇô929). Springer International Publishing AG. https://hdl.voced.edu.au/10707/420142
Colthart, I., Bagnall, G., Evans, A., Allbutt, H., Haig, A., Illing, J., & McKinstry, B. (2008). The effectiveness of self-assessment on the identification of learner needs, learner activity, and impact on clinical practice: BEME Guide no. 10. Medical Teacher, 30(2), 124ΓÇô145. https://doi.org/10.1080/01421590701881699
Cvijic, A., Kvernenes, M., Åstrøm, A., Tsilingaridis, G., & Bletsa, A. (2025). Approaches to Continuing Professional Development in Dental Traumatology—A Qualitative Study of General Dentists’ Experiences. Dental Traumatology, 42(1), 32. https://doi.org/10.1111/edt.13079
Davis, D. A., Mazmanian, P. E., Fordis, M., Van Harrison, R., Thorpe, K. E., & Perrier, L. (2006). Accuracy of Physician Self-assessment Compared With Observed Measures of Competence: A Systematic Review. JAMA, 296(9), 1094ΓÇô1102. https://doi.org/10.1001/JAMA.296.9.1094
Dolly, G., Mary-Anne, A., & Carroll, I. (2005). The Effect of Classroom Simulation on Nursing StudentsΓÇÖ Self-Efficacy Related to Health Teaching. Journal of Nursing Education, 44(7), 310ΓÇô314. https://doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20050701-04
Du, X., Al Khabuli, J. O. S., Ba Hattab, R. A. S., Daud, A., Philip, N. I., Anweigi, L., Matoug-Elwerfelli, M., & Ali, K. (2023). Development of professional identity among dental students ΓÇô A qualitative study. Journal of Dental Education, 87(1), 93ΓÇô100. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1002/jdd.13092
Elmanaseer, W. R., Al-Omoush, S. A., Alamoush, R. A., Abu Zaghlan, R., & Alsoleihat, F. (2023). Dental StudentsΓÇÖ Perception and Self-Perceived Confidence Level in Key Dental Procedures for General Practice and the Impact of Competency Implementation on Their Confidence Level, Part I (Prosthodontics and Conservative Dentistry). International Journal of Dentistry, 2023(1), 2015331. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/2015331
Epstein, R. M. (2007). Assessment in Medical Education. The New England Journal of Medicine, 356(4), 387ΓÇô396.
Eva, K. W., & Regehr, G. (2005). Self-Assessment in the Health Professions: A Reformulation and Research Agenda. Academic Medicine, 80(10). https://journals.lww.com/academicmedicine/fulltext/2005/10001/self_assessment_in_the_health_professions__a.15.aspx
F.D. Hicks, Coke L., & Li S. (2009). The effect of high-fidelity simulation on nursing studentsΓÇÖ knowledge and performance: A pilot study.
Gaballah, K., Ali, K., Zahra, D., Abou Neel, E., & Ibrahim, E. (2023). Perceived confidence of dental students and new graduates in performing tooth extractionsΓÇöAn exploratory study. European Journal of Dental Education, n/a(n/a). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/eje.12936
Gordon, M. J. (1991). A review of the validity and accuracy of self-assessments in health professions training. Academic Medicine, 66(12). https://journals.lww.com/academicmedicine/fulltext/1991/12000/a_review_of_the_validity_and_accuracy_of.12.aspx
Hasson, D., & Arnetz, B. B. (2005). Validation and Findings Comparing VAS vs. Likert Scales for Psychosocial Measurements. International Electronic Journal of Health Education, 8, 178ΓÇô192. www.ceos.nu
Kruger, J., & Dunning, D. (1999). Unskilled and unaware of it: how difficulties in recognizing oneΓÇÖs own incompetence lead to inflated self-assessments. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77(6), 1121ΓÇô1134. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.77.6.1121
Kwon, J. H., Shuler, C. F., & von Bergmann, H. (2022). Professional identity formation: The key contributors and dental studentsΓÇÖ concerns. Journal of Dental Education, 86(3), 288ΓÇô297. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1002/jdd.12810
Larew, C., LESSANS, S., SPUNT, D., FOSTER, D., & COVINGTON, B. G. (2006). INNOVATIONS IN CLINICAL SIMULATION: Application of BennerΓÇÖs Theory in an Interactive Patient Care Simulation. Nursing Education Perspectives, 27(1). https://journals.lww.com/neponline/fulltext/2006/01000/innovations_in_clinical_simulation__application_of.7.aspx
Lee, C., Asher, S. R., Chutinan, S., Gallucci, G. O., Dent, M., & Ohyama, H. (2017). The relationship between dental studentsΓÇÖ assessment ability and preclinical and academic performance in operative dentistry. Journal of Dental Education, 81(3), 310ΓÇô317. https://doi.org/10.1002/J.0022-0337.2017.81.3.TB06276.X
Likert, R. (1932). A technique for the measurement of attitudes. Archives of Psychology, 22 140, 55.
Malcolm S. Knowles, Elwood F. Holton III, & Richard A. Swanson. (2014). The Adult Learner: The definitive classic in adult education and human resource development (8th Edition). Routledge.
Manakil, J., & George, R. (2013). Self-perceived work preparedness of the graduating dental students. European Journal of Dental Education, 17(2), 101ΓÇô105. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/eje.12016
Mat Yudin, Z., Ali, K., Wan Ahmad, W. M. A., Ahmad, A., Khamis, Mohd. F., Brian Graville Monteiro, N. ΓÇÿAliya, Che Ab. Aziz, Z. A., Saub, R., Rosli, T. I., Alias, A., Abdul Hamid, N. F., & Harun, N. A. (2020). Self-perceived preparedness of undergraduate dental students in dental public universities in Malaysia: A national study. European Journal of Dental Education, 24(1), 163ΓÇô168. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/eje.12480
Mott, V. W., & Lohr, K. D. (2014). Co-constructed curricula: an adult learning perspective. In Andragogical and Pedagogical Methods for Curriculum and Program Development (pp. 81ΓÇô100). IGI Global.
NIEMAN, and D., MCANULTY, S., SUMINSKI, R., GREEN, J., ROBERTSON, R., & UTTER, A. (2004). Validation of the Adult OMNI Scale of Perceived Exertion for Walking/Running Exercise. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 36(10), 1776ΓÇô1780. https://doi.org/10.1249/01.MSS.0000142310.97274.94
Rajan, S., Chen, H. Y., Chen, J. J., Chin-You, S., Chee, S., Chrun, R., Byun, J., & Abuzar, M. (2020). Final year dental studentsΓÇÖ self-assessed confidence in general dentistry. European Journal of Dental Education, 24(2), 233ΓÇô242. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/eje.12489
Sari, M., & Derdiyok, U. (2021). The self-confidence of dental students in oral surgery. Odovtos , 23(3), 209ΓÇô222.
Varga, N. L., & Bauer, P. J. (2017). Young adults self-derive and retain new factual knowledge through memory integration. Memory & Cognition, 45(6), 1014. https://doi.org/10.3758/S13421-017-0711-6
Varghese, R. G., Manickam, N., & Mohanraj, A. (2023). Enhancing the interpretational skills of complete blood count reports by second year medical students using competency based learning method. Journal of Current Research in Scientific Medicine, 9(1), 48ΓÇô52. https://doi.org/10.4103/JCRSM.JCRSM_21_23
Yan, Z., & Brown, G. T. L. (2017). A cyclical self-assessment process: towards a model of how students engage in self-assessment. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 42(8), 1247ΓÇô1262. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2016.1260091
Yusoff, M. S. B. (2019). ABC of Response Process Validation and Face Validity Index Calculation. Education in Medicine Journal. https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:209076253
Yusoff, M. S. B., Arifin, W. N., & Hadie, S. N. H. (2021). ABC of Questionnaire Development and Validation for Survey Research. Education in Medicine Journal, 13, 97ΓÇô108. https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:233517657
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Hie Ling Ting, Yu Jing Tai, Leona King Chieh Kiu, Ai Chat Lee, Stephanie Panata, Noor Hanim Rahmat
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
All articles published in the Journal of Creative Practices in Language Learning and Teaching (CPLT) are licensed under Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
You are free to:
Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format
The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.
Under the following terms:
Attribution — You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made. You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
NonCommercial — You may not use the material for commercial purposes.
NoDerivatives — If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you may not distribute the modified material.
No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.
