EXPLORING THE STUDENTS’ ANXIETY ON ORAL ACADEMIC PRESENTATION IN PUBLIC SPEAKING (A Case Study at the Twelfth Grade of a Senior High School in Singaparna, Tasikmalaya)

Abstract

This study investigated the students’ anxiety in using oral academic presentation in public speaking. This study was aimed at figuring out the students’ anxiety factors on oral academic presentation in public speaking and investigating out the students’ perceptions on oral academic presentation in public speaking in relation to their anxiety. A case study was used as a research design that was conducted to the students at the twelfth grade of a Senior High School in Singaparna, Tasikmalaya. The questionnaires and the interview were the instruments of this study. The frequency table functioned to to analyze the results of the closed-ended questionnaires adapted from Fraenkel, et al. (2012, p. 211). Content analysis functions to analyze the results of the semi-structured interview adapted from Fraenkel, et al. (2012, p. 478). Triangulation analysis was used to compare the data from the questionnaires and the interview adapted from Fraenkel, et al. (2012, p. 559). The first finding showed that the students faced anxiety on oral academic presentation in public speaking. In contrast, they could cope with their anxiety during oral academic presentation in public speaking. The second finding showed that the students found easy to express themselves in speaking, improved their speaking performance, no longer being anxious and fear of failure, and no longer feel embarrassed as well as and worried after they do oral academic presentation. It was also concluded that anxiety was encountered by the students during oral academic presentation in public speaking due to four factors. They are personality traits, preparation, audience interest, and language ability. Furthermore, students had their positive perceptions during oral academic presentation in public speaking regarding their anxiety. Thus, the teachers must overcome their students’ anxiety by means of oral academic presentation in the classroom. The students are expected to expand and develop their public speaking performance by implementing oral academic presentation.