ABSTRACT

This study investigated anxiety levels as predictors of academic self-efficacy and school adjustment among University students in Abia State. Six research questions and six null hypotheses guided the study. A two-stage sampling procedure was adopted for this study. A sample of 504 second (2^nd) year University students was used for the study. This sample which represented about 20% of the entire population was randomly drawn from a population of 2,520 University students. Three instruments tilted “Students’ Anxiety Identification Questionnaire (SAIQ), Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (SEQ) and School Adjustment Questionnaire (SAQ)” were developed validated by experts in Psychology, Counselling and Measurement and Evaluation, all from Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike and used for the study. The data collected from the trial testing were analyzed using Cronbach Alpha technique which yielded a coefficient of r = 0.73 alpha, r = 0.83 alpha and r = 0.80 alpha for Students’ Anxiety Identification Questionnaire (SAIQ), Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (SEQ) and School Adjustment Questionnaire (SAQ) respectively. The data obtained through the administration of the instruments were analyzed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient to answer research questions while multiple regressions were used to test null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. Scheffe test was also done for a step-wise comparison of the means for hypotheses. The study revealed the following findings: Anxiety levels (low, moderate and high) predicted academic self-efficacy and school adjustment among University undergraduate students to a positively very high and significant extent. Moderate anxiety had higher percentage contribution of 79.23%; while high anxiety predicted 21.73% of academic self-efficacy and school adjustment of University undergraduate students. Gender influence on high anxiety as a predictor of academic self-efficacy and school adjustment among University undergraduate students is to a negatively high and significant extent. Gender influence on high anxiety level had higher percentage contribution of 51.17%; while moderate which predicted 48.83% of academic self-efficacy and school adjustment among University undergraduate students. Among the educational implications of the findings was that academic self-efficacy and school adjustment of university undergraduate students depend on their anxiety levels. It was recommended that stake holders such as University Authorities, psychologists and Counsellors should create awareness and organize seminars on the impacts of anxiety levels on academic self-efficacy belief and academic adjustment.