ACADEMIC FEEDBACK, SELF-EFFICACY, PERCEIVED LEVEL OF EXAMINATION PREPARATION AS DETERMINANTS OF TEST ANXIETY AMONG SOME SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

Test anxiety remains a challenging factor in the actualization of maximum performance of individual or group on any task requiring the use of test as assessment tool. Some student do not cope well in testing situation when they experience moderate to several anxiety which leads to detrimental effect on their test performance and subsequently their advancement. If advancement has to be made therefore, factors that enhance anxiety should be determined and put under check. An endless array of such factors (variables) exists. However some are particularly contingent on student learning situations. This study, therefore, examined the combined and singular contribution of academic feedback, self-efficacy, perceived level of examination preparation to the prediction of test anxiety. Such knowledge will help in an early detection of the problem and the setting up of necessary control strategies before situation reaches a detrimental level. Six hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance to address the problem.
The survey design was used for the conduct of the study. One thousand two hundred and forty eight (1,248) participants were selected using a multi-stage stratified random sampling procedure. Instrument for data collection included two self–designed questionnaires and two validated psychological scales. The questionnaires were: (i) academic feedback, and (ii) perceive level of examination preparation. The psychological scale were: (i) Sarason test anxiety scale (TAS) and, (ii) Stanley et al self efficacy scale (SES).
Results of the data analyzed from the scale show that: (i) academic feedback, self-efficacy, and perceived level of examination preparation significantly combined to predict test anxiety of secondary school students. They jointly accounted for 9.1% of the total variation in student test anxiety. (R= 0.320, R2 = 0.102 R (adj.) = 0.19: f(3,1244) =9.287, p<.001). Perceived level of examination preparation contributed the highest amount of variation to the prediction of test anxiety while self-efficacy contributed the least variance because it could not even enter into the regression model in a step wise analysis.
The implication of this is that test anxiety is dependent, to a large extent, on the level of students’ preparation for examination and the type of feedback or result received from past examinations. Hence appropriate intervention strategies can be developed to control test anxiety so that students can advance in their studies.