25, April 2026

Socio-Demographic Variations in English Language Anxiety and Divergent Thinking Ability among Secondary Students in West Bengal

VOLUME-10; ISSUE-4; APR-2026

Author(s): 1Kaustuv Sen, 2Prof. Bhujendra Nath Panda

Authors Affiliations:

1Research Scholar, Regional Institute of Education (NCERT), Bhubaneswar-751022, India

2Professor of Education & Former Dean of Research, RIE (NCERT), Bhubaneswar- 751022, India

DOIs:10.2017/IJRCS/202604008     |     Paper ID: IJRCS202604008


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English language anxiety has been recognized to be an underlying affective factor that shapes the learning outcomes of learners especially in multilingual settings where English is introduced as a second language. At the same time, learners' cognitive and academic advancement is greatly strengthened by divergent thinking, a fundamental aspect of creativity. With particular attention to socio-demographic factors including gender and caste, the present study explores the effect of English Language Anxiety (ELA) on Divergent Thinking Ability (DTA) among secondary school students in West Bengal. Based on the rising focus on creativity as an essential twenty-first-century skill, the study looks into how affective factors such as anxiety interact with cognitive processes such as divergent thinking in English as Second Language (ESL) learning contexts. Data were gathered from a sample of 400 secondary students randomly selected through a multistage sampling procedure across four districts of West Bengal following a quantitative descriptive survey method. The variables were measured using standardized tools such as a self-developed English Language Anxiety Scale and the adopted version of Divergent Thinking Ability test. The findings revealed that though caste-based differences were more noticeable and students from OBC categories showed higher anxiety levels, ELA did not follow a consistent pattern across genders. On the other hand, across the majority of caste categories, female students consistently showed higher levels of divergent thinking abilities. Inferential analysis of the study pointed out significant caste-based differences in speaking, writing, and test anxiety dimensions as well as in overall DTA scores.  Gender based analysis also showed no significant impact on ELA but had a significant influence on DTA. These results draw attention to the necessity of inclusive teaching approaches that support students' psychological health and creative potential and the crucial role of addressing emotional aspects of language learning. The study has relevance to curriculum design, policy development, and classroom practices and has added to recommend supportive and anxiety-reducing learning environments that promote holistic student development.

English Language, Anxiety, Divergent Thinking, Secondary, Second Language

Kaustuv Sen, Prof. Bhujendra Nath Panda (2026); Socio-Demographic Variations in English Language Anxiety and Divergent Thinking Ability among Secondary Students in West Bengal, International Journal of Research Culture Society,    ISSN(O): 2456-6683,  Volume – 10,   Issue –  4,  Available on – https://ijrcs.org/

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