Self-efficacy and stress as determinants of test anxiety among selected secondary school students

Abiodun Adekunle Ogunola, Kehinde Rebecca Odumesi

Abstract


This study examined the roles of self-efficacy and stress in influencing test anxiety among students from selected secondary schools in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, Nigeria. Specifically, it explored how students’ beliefs in their academic abilities and the stress they experience during their academic journey contribute to anxiety before, during, and after assessments. A descriptive survey design was adopted, involving 250 students from eight schools. Data were collected using three standardized instruments: the Revised Test Anxiety Scale (RTA), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), and the Standard Stress Scale (SSS). Regression analysis revealed that self-efficacy significantly predicted test anxiety (β = 0.956, t = 51.43, p < .05), as did stress (β = 0.252, t = 4.10, p < .05). The joint analysis showed that self-efficacy (β = 1.834, t = 49.55, p < .05) and stress (β = -0.009, t = 0.015, p > .05) together accounted for 91.4% of the variance in test anxiety. These findings highlight the complex psychological interplay, suggesting that while self-efficacy is generally protective, in certain high-pressure contexts it may paradoxically relate to higher anxiety. The study recommends that teachers and parents foster students’ self-efficacy by promoting realistic goal-setting, providing constructive feedback, and reinforcing their strengths.

KEY WORDS:

self-efficacy; stress; test anxiety; secondary school students; academic pressure


Full Text:

PDF

References


Anderman, E. M. (2020). Achievement motivation theory: Balancing precision and utility. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 61, 101864. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2020.101864 Barsham, H., & Ellefson, M. R. (2024). Learning How/Why Retrieval Practice Works Can Improve Test Anxiety and Self-efficacy. https://doi.org/10.31234/OSF.IO/QXKDJ Bartimote-Aufflick, K., Bridgeman, A., Walker, R., Sharma, M., & Smith, L. (2016). The study, evaluation, and improvement of university student self-efficacy. Studies in Higher Education, 41(11), 1918–1942. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2014.999319 Beiter, R., Nash, R., McCrady, M., Rhoades, D., Linscomb, M., Clarahan, M., & Sammut, S. (2015). The prevalence and correlates of depression, anxiety, and stress in a sample of college students. Journal of Affective Disorders, 173, 90–96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2014.10.054 Brodersen, L. D. (2017). Interventions for test anxiety in undergraduate nursing students: An integrative review. Nursing Education Perspectives, 38(3), 131–137. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.NEP.0000000000000142 Deb, S., Strodl, E., & Sun, J. (2015). Academic Stress, Parental Pressure, Anxiety and Mental Health among Indian High School Students. International Journal of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, 2015(1), 26–34. http://journal.sapub.org/ijpbs Elliott, A. (2017). Psychoanalytic theory: An introduction. Bloomsbury Publishing. Embse, N., Jester, D., Roy, D., & Post, J. (2018). Test anxiety effects, predictors, and correlates: A 30-year meta-analytic review. Journal of Affective Disorders, 227, 483–493. Gao, W., Ping, S., & Liu, X. (2020). Gender differences in depression, anxiety, and stress among college students: A longitudinal study from China. Journal of Affective Disorders, 263, 292–300. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2019.11.121 Gross, C., & Seebaß, K. (2016). The standard stress scale (SSS): Measuring stress in the life course. In Methodological Issues of Longitudinal Surveys: The Example of the National Educational Panel Study (pp. 233–250). Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-11994-2_14 Khalaila, R. (2015). The relationship between academic self-concept, intrinsic motivation, test anxiety, and academic achievement among nursing students: Mediating and moderating effects. Nurse Education Today, 35(3), 432–438. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2014.11.001 Krispenz, A., Gort, C., Schültke, L., & Dickhäuser, O. (2019). How to reduce test anxiety and academic procrastination through inquiry of cognitive appraisals: A pilot study investigating the role of academic self-efficacy. Frontiers in Psychology, 10(AUG). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01917 Luszczynska, A., & Schwarzer, R. (2015). Social Cognitive Theory. In M. Conner & P. Norman (Eds.), Predicting and Changing Health Behaviour: Research and Practice with Social Cognition Models (pp. 225–251). McGraw Hill Education, Open University Press. Nwosu, K. C., Wahl, W. P., Hickman, G. P., Ede, M. O., & Nwikpo, M. N. (2023). Measurement invariance and latent profile analysis of the test anxiety inventory. International Journal of Educational Methodology, 9(3), 451–461. https://doi.org/10.12973/ijem.9.3.451 Pascoe, M. C., Bailey, A. P., Craike, M., Carter, T., Patten, R., Stepto, N. K., & Parker, A. G. (2020). Exercise interventions for mental disorders in young people: A scoping review. BMJ Open Sport and Exercise Medicine, 6(1), 678. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjsem-2019-000678 Roick, J., & Ringeisen, T. (2017). Self-efficacy, test anxiety, and academic success: A longitudinal validation. International Journal of Educational Research, 83, 84–93. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2016.12.006 Schnell, K., Ringeisen, T., Raufelder, D., & Rohrmann, S. (2015). The impact of adolescents’ self-efficacy and self-regulated goal attainment processes on school performance - Do gender and test anxiety matter? Learning and Individual Differences, 38, 90–98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2014.12.008 Seaward, B. L. (2017). Managing Stress: Principles and Strategies for Health and Well-Being. Jones & Bartlett Learning. Sung, Y. T., Chao, T. Y., & Tseng, F. L. (2016). Reexamining the relationship between test anxiety and learning achievement: An individual-differences perspective. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 46, 241–252. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.CEDPSYCH.2016.07.001 Thomas, C. L., Cassady, J. C., & Heller, M. L. (2017). The influence of emotional intelligence, cognitive test anxiety, and coping strategies on undergraduate academic performance. Learning and Individual Differences, 55, 40–48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2017.03.001 Tinakon, W., & Nahathai, W. (2012). A comparison of reliability and construct validity between the original and revised versions of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Psychiatry Investigation, 9(1), 54–58. https://doi.org/10.4306/pi.2012.9.1.54 Zuckerman, M., & Spielberger, C. D. (2015). Emotions and anxiety (PLE: Emotion): New concepts, methods, and applications. Emotions and Anxiety (PLE: Emotion): New Concepts, Methods, and Applications, 10(2), 1–362. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315744643




DOI: https://doi.org/10.18860/jips.v5i1.29764

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Indexing By:

  

 

Journal of Indonesian Psychological Science (JIPS) by https://ejournal.uin-malang.ac.id/index.php/jips/index is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

View MyStat