ABSTRACT

This study sought to explore the effects of systematic desensitization and self-questioning strategy on the reduction of mathematics test anxiety among senior secondary school students in Umuahia Education zone of Abia state. The study adopted a pre-test, post-test, control group experimental design with a 3 x 2 factorial matrix. The specific design for this study is a non-equivalent pretest-posttest control group design, with the experimental group adopting systematic desensitization strategy and self-questioning strategy as well as the combination of systematic desensitization strategy and self-questioning strategy. Six research questions and six null hypotheses guided the study. The sample for this study was 40 senior secondary school students with mathematics test anxiety. The two schools were randomly assigned to the treatment and control conditions. Two instruments titled "Mathematics Test Anxiety Questionnaire (MTAQ) and Students' Mathematics Achievement Test (SMAT)" were developed by the researcher for the study. The instruments were validated by three experts, each from Guidance and Counselling, Psychology and Measurement and Evaluation, from Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike. Internal consistency reliability coefficients was determined for MTAQ using Crombach alpha method and reliability index of 0.76 was obtained; Kuder Richardson was used to calculate the internal consistency of SMAT forms 1 and 2 and estimates of 0.76 and 0.69 were obtained respectively. Data obtained through the administration of the MTAQ and SMAT forms 1 and 2 by the regular school counsellors who served as the research assistants, were organized and analyzed using mean scores, standard deviation and 3 x 2 analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), which revealed the following findings: Intervention using systematic desensitization strategy, self- questioning strategy and the combination of systematic desensitization strategy and self- questioning strategy significantly reduced mathematics test anxiety of the subjects. Gender had no significant effect on the mean mathematics test anxiety reduction scores of the subjects who were exposed to systematic desensitization strategy, self-questioning strategy and the combination of systematic desensitization and self-questioning strategies. Among the educational implications was that systematic desensitization strategy and self-questioning strategy could reduce mathematics test anxiety of students. It was thus recommended that students should be exposed to systematic desensitization strategy and self-questioning strategy to reduce test anxiety and improve their academic achievement.