Academic Self-Efficacy and Tendency towards Test Anxiety of Secondary School Students in Akwa Ibom North East Senatorial District, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated the predictive influence of academic selfefficacy on the tendency towards test anxiety of secondary school students in the Akwa Ibom North East Senatorial District, Nigeria. The study focused specifically on the extent to which study and peer interaction predicted students’ tendency towards test anxiety in the study area. Two research questions and two corresponding null hypotheses guided the study. The study adopted a correlational research design. The population of the study comprised 24,215 JS 3 students in public secondary schools in the study area. A sample of 417 students was selected using a multi-stage sampling procedure. A researcher-developed instrument titled “Academic Self-Efficacy and Test Anxiety Questionnaire (ASETAQ)” was used for data collection. The instrument was face validated by experts, and its internal consistency reliability was established using the Cronbach Alpha method, yielding a coefficient of 0.77. Data were analysed using simple linear regression statistics. The R and R² values were used to answer the research questions, while the null hypotheses were tested using the t-test associated with regression at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that study self-efficacy significantly predicted tendency towards test anxiety to a high extent, while peer interaction self-efficacy significantly predicted tendency towards test anxiety to a moderate extent. The study concluded that academic self-efficacy is a critical psychological factor predicting students’ tendency towards test anxiety, as higher levels of self-efficacy are associated with lower levels of test anxiety. Based on the findings, it was recommended, among others, that school counsellors in Akwa Ibom North East Senatorial District, in collaboration with their principals, should organise regular workshops to enhance students’ study self-efficacy through effective learning strategies and academic planning.