Final answer:
Experience gained from classroom speaking can help decrease the anxiety associated with public speaking. When anticipating a public speech, the sympathetic nervous system is activated due to stress. Statistical analysis can determine if a student's belief that schoolmates fear public speaking less than the national average is accurate.
Step-by-step explanation:
Experience gained by speaking in your classroom may decrease the anxiety you feel when speaking publicly in the future. Public speaking can be very stressful, and the anticipation of giving a speech can stimulate the sympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for the body's 'fight-or-flight' response. However, as you practice and gain more experience, this can lead to a reduction in anxiety levels due to increased confidence and familiarity with the speaking process. In Toastmasters International's reference to a Gallup Poll, it is mentioned that 40 percent of Americans fear public speaking. If a student believes that less than 40 percent of students at her school fear public speaking and conducts a hypothesis test that shows 135 out of 361 schoolmates report this fear, statistical methods can be used to determine if the percentage at her school is indeed lower than the national average.