The Degree of Availability of Oral Communication Anxiety among Intermediate Stage Students

Abstract

This study aimed to reveal the degree of oral communication anxiety among intermediate-stage students. To achieve this, the researcher used the descriptive survey approach and developed a scale for measuring oral communication anxiety, ensuring its validity and reliability. The study reached several findings, including that the levels of oral communication anxiety across the five study dimensions (with the teacher, the school administration, peers, the community, and communication in Standard Arabic) ranged between (4.24 out of 5) and (3.92 out of 5), with standard deviations between (1.24 - 1.36). This represents a very high level of availability, according to the study results interpretation scale. The results also indicated that the level of communication anxiety with peers was highest, with a mean score (4.23 out of 5) and a standard deviation (1.24), with a very high degree. The results showed that the lowest level of oral communication apprehension was with the teacher, where the mean score was (3.92 out of 5) and a standard deviation of (1.34). There was a statistically significant difference attributed to the gender variable (male/female); it was found that female intermediate school students had a higher level of oral communication apprehension compared to their male counterparts. In light of these findings, the researcher proposed several recommendations.