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International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences

Open Access Journal

ISSN: 2222-6990

Exploring Fear of Public Speaking Through Social Cognitive Theory

Nursuhaila Ibrahim, Nur Alyani Khairol Anuar, Muhammad Irfan Mokhtar, Nursyuhada Zakaria, Nurul Hijah Jasman, Nurul Nadiah Rasdi

http://dx.doi.org/10.6007/IJARBSS/v12-i1/11320

Open access

Public speaking as a form of communication skill has pervaded today’s learning environment. It is in contrast to the previous method of delivery in which oral communication is obscure. The vicissitudes occur because students need to be competent in the field of academics. This skill is vital for students, but hitherto much difficult because of their anxiety. Additionally, students think that the act of giving a speech needs strong volition and confidence. Therefore, it is crucial for them to tackle the fear before they endure the real journey in professional working life. Hence, this study aims to analyse the causes of fear in public speaking among students and how Social Cognitive Theory influences this anxiety. This study employed a quantitative survey comprising four sections in order to get a more in-depth data analysis. A total of 171 undergraduate students from Universiti Teknologi MARA served as the respondents of this study. The findings reveal that the students are influenced by several internal and external factors that cause fear in public speaking. In response to the influence of Cognitive and Behavior factors, the majority of those surveyed indicated that the size of the audience and nervousness lead to students’ anxiety. These findings add to a growing body of literature on the anxiety of public speaking as well as aid as a reference for students and teachers, especially in English classrooms. Future studies on the current topic are therefore recommended in order to corroborate the findings.

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In-Text Citation: (Ibrahim et al., 2021)
To Cite this Article: Ibrahim, N., Anuar, N. A. K., Mokhtar, M. I., Zakaria, N., Jasman, N. H., & Rasdi, N. N. (2021). Exploring Fear of Public Speaking Through Social Cognitive Theory. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 12(1), 135–154.