The relationship between working memory, anxiety and students academic performance

In the present research, the relationship between working memory capacity, level of anxiety and academic achievement were examined.  The overall objective of the present study is practical and in terms of method is correlational descriptive.  By the use of a multistage cluster sampling from high schools of Zanjan Educational Organization, a number of 304 third grade students from secondary schools were selected. The research tool consisted of the following: (a) Daneman and Carpenter Working Memory Test (1980), and (b) the Zung's Self-Rating Anxiety Scale  (1970). In addition, the students’ average score was used as an indicator of academic achievement. The collected data, through a significant test of Pearson correlation coefficient and multiple regressions were analyzed. The results showed that there is a significant relationship between capacity of working memory, anxiety and academic achievement. The other finding showed there was a significant relationship between academic achievement, level of processing and level of reservation, and between the level of anxiety, level of processing and Level of reservation.