Fear: The Real Success Snatcher
Kimberly Griffin, M.A., Mercer University
Abstract: Fear is a common and a natural reaction to unwanted circumstances that all human beings face.
The concept of fear, however, is associated with the perceptions of teacher narratives, cognitive perceptions
and anxiety driven emotion. This presentation will discuss the need for teaching professionals to understand
their obligation to enlighten students on fear avoidance behaviors that may hinder student success (Bledsoe
& Baskin, 2014). Likewise, teachers should become aware of their fear-based narratives (Patthoff, 2015) as
motivators and become conscious of fear driven behaviors that might ordinarily cause a teacher to be biased
or judgmental toward a low achieving student. If a student can begin to understand that fear is the motivator
behind anxiety driven behaviors, such as lateness or habitually missed assignments, students will develop the
necessary skills to recognize their fear and utilize techniques to combat those fears.
Literature Review
The notion that college students must be motivated because they have entered college is a misnomer. Many college
students attend college but find it difficult to graduate due to haunting fears that diminish progress (Cox, 2009).
Student fear is more than a poor attitude but rather a false perception based on past narratives, values and motivation
(Patthoff, 2015). When a student is in early education, fear based behaviors may be misinterpreted as laziness (Bledsoe
& Baskin, 2014) and can influence a teacher to indirectly show bias towards the student. A student may discern the
teacher’s frustrations and personalize those feelings as self-worth. The lack of a positive perception toward student
self-competency can lead to poor performance in college level students (Gorges, Schwinger & Kandler, 2013).
In order to assist students in becoming successful in college, teachers must assess the level of fear-based narratives
(Patthoff, 2015) that are shared. The goal of fear-based narratives is to persuade and motivate students to achieve
academically (Patthoff, 2015). According to Patthoff (2015), a narrative is a story warning those who listen to take
heed. Teachers partake in telling stories because they establish credibility, teach ethical lessons, and establish student
cooperation (Patthoff, 2015). The stories are meant to empower but may not always be as influential as intended. If
students fall short of the expectations in the story, they may feel like a failure. As a result, negative perceptions of
academic performance and a fear of failure may influence a students’ self-esteem.
Fear of failure may show up in the classroom as anxiety, lateness, lack of follow through, nervousness, complaints
about assignments, and excessive in class disturbances (Bledsoe & Blaskin, 2014). Before addressing a student’s
behavior, teachers should become familiar with fear, influences on students, students understanding of stress, and
stress free environments conducive to learning. In addition, teachers can help the students address their fears by
directing them to the proper support systems offered at the college or within the community.
Goals
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Be able to understand how perception influences beliefs about success in learning
Identify fear-based narratives that are used in the classroom as motivators
Be able to identify ways to influence students with low expectancy, values, and motivation by addressing
fear as the underlying issue.
Description of topic
Students fear success for many reasons. In some cases, those reasons are a combination of personal influences and
classroom narratives gone wrong. Teachers tell stories in the classroom for many different reasons but ultimately the
stories are to motivate students to do better or suffer the consequences. Unfortunately, there are times when the
attempt to motivate backfires and the student becomes less confident. The loss of confidence translates to fear and
anxiety which can negatively influence academic performance and college success.
Facilitation Techniques:
This presentation will be discussed by utilizing a PowerPoint presentation as a guide to address fear based behaviors
in classroom settings. Teacher/student scenarios will foster dialogue on how interested teachers can play a role in
student success by utilizing specific fear based techniques in the classroom.
References
Bledsoe, T. S., & Baskin, J. J. (2014). Recognizing student fear: The elephant in the classroom.
College Teaching, 62(1), 32-41.
Cox, R. D. (2009). "It was just that I was afraid": Promoting success by addressing students' fear
of failure. Community College Review, 37(1), 52-80.
Gorges, J., Schwinger, M., & Kandler, C. (2013). Linking university students' willingness to
learn to their recollections of motivation at secondary school. Europe's Journal of Psychology, 9(4), 764782. doi:10.5964/ejop.v9i4.638
Patthoff, A. A. (2015). This is your brain on law school: The impact of fear based narratives on
law students. Utah Law Review, 2015(2), 391-424.