RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN ANXIETY LEVEL AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENT

1.1 Introduction

Anxiety can be defined as a mental and physical state characterized by specific emotional, physical, cognitive and behavioral symptoms. The stimulus can be a previous external or internal antecedent or trigger. To state the definite causes of anxiety can be rather complicated as it is influenced by many factors (Doubek, & Anders, 2013). Test anxiety, arises out of the fear of failing to perform. It can be explained through the high demands that learners put on themselves to be perfect masters of the foreign language. Fear of negative evaluation is explained as the learners' expectation to be evaluated negatively by others in any kind of situation (Wörde, 2003).

This chapter will address the background information that motivated this study, the challenges that prompted it, its aim, and its objectives as a preface to subsequent sections of the study. Additional factors include the study's significance, scope, limitations, research questions and hypotheses, and the definition of technical terms.

1.2 Background of Study

Education transforms individuals into problem solvers who evince knowledge and are capable of utilizing the acquired knowledge to provide solutions to a wide range of problems. A good level of education confers on a student a corresponding high level of meta cognitive skills which in turn helps the student to have a good knowledge of himself as a cognitive processor, and knowledge of task and strategy variables necessary for effective learning (Hoe, Cheong and Yee, 2013).

However, sometimes, some students even at high educational level and with high level of meta cognitive skills inexplicably fail to demonstrate the knowledge they have acquired during teaching and learning sessions. Such students attend classes, do their assignments but fail to perform in the day of reckoning (examinations) especially when the stakes are high. The students who have done all that is necessary but develop cold feet rather than confidence during examinations may be manifesting test anxiety.

Examination anxiety which is also called test anxiety in research literature is an uneasiness or apprehension experienced before, during and after examination because of concern, worry or fear of uncertainty. It was defined by Zeidner (2008) as a set of phenomenological, physiological and behavioural responses that accompany concern about possible negative consequences or failure on an examination or similar evaluative situation. It is feeling that someone might have in a situation where performance really counts or where the pressure to do well is intense.

Test anxiety is not entirely bad. In fact a low level of test anxiety is normal and necessary among the students in order to maintain focus and to galvanize them into action preparing, plotting and perfecting strategies that will guarantee optimum success in the examinations. It is needed to motivate and help the students to stay mentally and physically alert (Birjandi and Alemi, 2010).

Test anxiety or performance anxiety is common in nearly every aspect of human endeavour. Excellent players have deprived their countries or clubs of the opportunities to lift trophies during club or international sporting competitions by missing penalty shots as a result of performance anxiety.

A study conducted by DeCaro, Thomas, Albert and Beilock (2011) found that baseball players put into a high pressure condition had increased errors and decreased ability to recall details like directions in which their bats were moving. Some candidates seeking for jobs find it difficult to remember even their own names during interviews for highly paid jobs in such a situation where good performance counts and pressure to do well is palpable (Putwain, Woods and Symes, 2010). It is performance anxiety that makes a professor seat profusely and sounds incoherent almost at the point of collapsing while presenting inaugural lecture with intimidating audience in attendance.

Mild level of anxiety is healthy, at this level, perceptual field is heighten, pupils dilate to accommodate much light, hearing and smelling intensified and sense of touch is highly sensitive. The individual is highly alert and attentive and learning and cognition is in its best state. This stage improves academic performance.

Moderate level of anxiety on the other hand is unhealthy, the perceptional field of a person at this level is narrowed; individuals experiencing this level of anxiety have selective inattention. They have decreased focus and automatism can be observed as repetitive purposeless movements such as shaking of hands and feet, twirling of hair and tapping of fingers. Academic performance at this level depends on the individual's ability to control the anxiety and carry out the assignment task.

Severe level of anxiety is characterized by reduced perceptual field and a difficulty in communication. Gross motor movements, such as pacing are characteristic of people at this stage. Academic performance at this stage depends on the educator's ability to recognize such individuals and provide a safe environment for them. Communication should be kept short and simple since communication is altered. Performance at this stage is reduced since most educators may not be able to provide such environment for the student. Panic level of anxiety is the worst and most severe form of anxiety. Total disruption of perceptual field is present. It is also characterized by loss of ability to communicate, loss of rational thought and total loss of conscious thinking. Academic performance at this level is very poor since the student will be unable to remember exactly what he/she is supposed to do.

Therefore, in Nigeria where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the Relationships between Anxiety Level and Academic Performance Among Secondary School Student in Okpe Local Government Area.

1.3 Statement of Problems

Investigation revealed that many students have anxiety particularly during examination and this has adversely affected their performance, this is because of the much emphasis laid on examination in schools and by job-offering agents of the society that students become convince that sustenance of life depends on their performance in examinations. They therefore cultivate fear of failures. Because of this failure, they resort to cheating during examinations, some even become involved in certificate racketeering and this attitude towards examination is a major element of the indiscipline of the wider society.

In Secondary Schools, clinical symptoms of test anxiety are made manifest when students start having abnormal rapid heartbeats, sweating palms or body, shivering and spilling their ink during examination. There have been also cases of students going insane or collapsing in examination halls because of such anxiety, this posses a big problem to both schools and society as a whole.

1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study

The aim of the study is to determine the Relationships Between Anxiety Level and Academic Performance Among Secondary School Student in Okpe Local Government Area. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:

1. Determine the secondary school students' perspectives of teachers' reaction towards their feelings of anxiety;
2. Find out the relationship between motivation and Anxiety among Secondary School Student in the study area;
3. Ascertain the extent of this anxiety on the students' performance since anxiety is a psychological problem;
4. Identify the causes of anxiety over examination among students; and
5. Investigate the effect of examination anxiety on the performance of Secondary School student in the area under study.

1.5 Research Questions

The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:

• Is there any relationship between motivation and Anxiety among Secondary School Student in the study area?
• Does anxiety instigate psychological problem on students' performance?
• What are the causes of anxiety over examination among students?
• What are the secondary school students' perspectives of teachers' reaction towards their feelings of anxiety?
• What is the effect of examination anxiety on the performance of Secondary School student in the area under study?

1.6 Research Hypothesis

In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.

Hypothesis One

• H0: There is no significant predictive effect of examination anxiety on the academic performance of students
• H1: There is a significant predictive effect of examination anxiety on the academic performance of students

Hypothesis Two

• H0: There are no significant relationship between students' examination anxiety and their academic performance
• H1: There are significant relationship between students' examination anxiety and their academic performance

Hypothesis Three

• H0: There are no significant difference in the academic performance of high and low academic anxiety groups of male and female students
• H1: There are significant difference in the academic performance of high and low academic anxiety groups of male and female students

1.7 Significance of Study

The findings of this empirical study have implications for helping professionals and academia in addressing the menace of test anxiety of the test students in higher education so that timely and effectively counseling and therapeutic interventions could be introduced in colleges and universities.

Consequently, many important discussions are based on test results. So, it is not surprising that anxiety during test has become a prominent problem in schools all over the world. This study will also be of immense benefit to Students, Lecturers and other researchers who intend to know more on this study and can also be used by non-researchers to build more on their research work. This study contributes to knowledge and could serve as a guide for other study.

1.8 Scope of Study

The scope of this research is focused on the Relationships Between Anxiety Level and Academic Performance Among Secondary School Student in Okpe Local Government Area of Delta State in Nigeria.

1.9 Limitations of the Study

During the course of this study, there were some problems encountered which stood as limitations to the research work. Some of the limitations include:

1. Time Constraint:The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
2. Research Material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
3. Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
4. Initial Cooperation Delay from Respondents: A particular limitation of this work came as a result of the respondent refusal to offer their cooperation at the initial time they were contacted. This contributed in making the success of this research study difficult.

1.10 Assumptions

The researcher believes that the students are normally affected by test anxiety, before but especially during the administration of test. Moreover, anxiety affects motivations, concentrations and achievement negatively, increases errors during the exams, creates problems recalling the material previously learned and prevents efficient study.

1.11 Definition of Terms

Anxiety:

Anxiety can be defined as a mental and physical state characterized by specific emotional, physical, cognitive and behavioral symptoms.

Academic Performance:

In Educational institutions, success is measured by academic performance or how well a student meets standards set out by the local government and the institution itself.