https://phys.org/news/2019-01-students-excel-science-exams.html

Job opportunities in STEM fields are expanding, but students from lower-income families are often ill-prepared for them. Much of the discrepancy begins in high school, where they don't take as many STEM classes as other students, in part because they perform poorly in them. One factor may be that they're not expected to perform well, creating performance anxiety. The researchers hoped to address some of the downstream psychological consequences of this anxiety, freeing students' minds to unleash their potential.

"This study shows that students' grades are not just about what they know," said Christopher Rozek, lead author on the study and a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Psychology at Stanford University. "Students' emotions factor into how well they do in their classes, and schools should continue to prioritize students' emotional well-being in order to help students perform up to their potential."