ABSTRACT

The study investigated motivational patterns and test anxiety as correlates of academic achievement of secondary school students in Abia State Nigeria. The study adopted a correlation survey design. Six research questions and six null hypotheses guided the study. Three hundred and sixty senior secondary II students drawn using multistage sampling techniques from a total population of 2,000 Public and Private Secondary School students in Aba North Local Government Area of Abia State. A structured questionnaire titled "Students Motivational Pattern and Test Anxiety Questionnaire (SMPTAQ)" was developed, validated and used for the study. 'The stability of SMPTAQ was determined using Pearson's Product Moment Correlation Co-efficient (PPMCC) and overall reliability estimate of 0.76 was obtained. Data obtained from the study were analyzed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation and Linear Regression at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed that: there is no significant positive correlation between intrinsic motivation and academic achievement of students', no significant correlation between extrinsic motivation and academic achievement of students, there is a significant negative correlation between a motivational pattern of motivation and academic achievement of the students. There is also a significant negative high correlation between high test. anxiety and academic achievement of the students; no significant positive high correlation between the moderate test anxiety and academic achievement of the students; and then, there is a significant positive low correlation between low test anxiety and academic achievement of the students. Based on the findings, discussion, implications and recommendations were made. Among the recommendations were that, emphasis should be made by stakeholders in Education to increase motivation of students and reduce test anxiety since they correlate academic performance of students, curriculum planners should include measures for motivating students for examination and reduction of high-test anxiety among students in schools.