ABSTRACT

Oral presentations and public speaking are an important aspect of the student experience in the United Kingdom higher education. Many modules (self-contained units normally within a programme of study) use presentations as a form of assessment and require students to verbally engage in small and large group settings to enhance learning. Previous research evidence has indicated that many students experience fear in public speaking. The aims of this qualitative survey were two-fold. First, it sought to gather further insight into the fears experienced and strategies used by students who fear public speaking, including oral presentations. The second objective was to determine whether their fear affected their experience of higher education. A qualitative survey comprising four open-ended questions was completed by 46 undergraduate and postgraduate students with a fear of public speaking from the University of the West of England (UWE), Bristol. All participants were attending one of the Stand Up and Be Heard (SUBH) UWE library-based workshops for fear of public speaking. Thematic analysis was used to identify the following six themes, namely: fear of being judged, physical symptoms, uncertainty about the topic, negative effect on university experience, practice and preparation, and more practical support needed. The results of this survey identify the specific fears students have in public speaking and provide evidence of the overall negative effect on their higher education experience. This survey provides further evidence that higher education institutions should acknowledge public speaking fear among some students and provide more support in oral presentation assessments.

摘要

口头报告和公开演讲是学生在英国高等教育中体验的一个重要方面。许多模块（通常在学习计划中的独立单元）使用演示作为一种评估形式，并要求学生口头参与小型和大型团体设置以加强学习。先前的研究证据表明，许多学生在公开演讲中感到恐惧。这项定性调查的目的有两个。首先，它试图进一步深入了解害怕公开演讲（包括口头演讲）的学生所经历的恐惧和使用的策略。第二个目标是确定他们的恐惧是否影响了他们接受高等教育的经历。来自布里斯托尔的西英格兰大学 (UWE) 的 46 名害怕公开演讲的本科生和研究生完成了一项包含四个开放式问题的定性调查。由于害怕公开演讲，所有参与者都参加了一项以 UWE 图书馆为基础的站起来并被听到 (SUBH) 的研讨会。主题分析用于确定以下六个主题，即：害怕被评判、身体症状、主题的不确定性、对大学经历的负面影响、实践和准备以及需要更多实际支持。这项调查的结果确定了学生在公开演讲中的具体恐惧，并提供了对他们高等教育经历的总体负面影响的证据。