ABSTRACT  

This study investigated wellness oriented variables as predictors of students’ adjustment and academic achievement in secondary schools in Abia State. Twelve research questions and twelve null hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance. The study adopted a correlational research design. The sample for the study consisted of 878 (419 males and 459 female) respondents drawn through multistage sampling techniques from a population of 8783 (4195 males and 4588 female) senior secondary school class II students in 2020/2021 academic session. The instruments for data collection include; Wellness Oriented Variables Questionnaire (WOVQ), Students Adjustment Questionnaire (SAQ) and Students’ Achievement Scores in Mathematics and English Language (SAME). The internal consistency of the instruments was determined using Cronbach Alpha method and reliability indices of 0.74 and 0.78 were obtained for WOVQ and SAQ, respectively. The data obtained through the administration of the instruments were analyzed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient to answer research questions. Linear regression was used to test null hypotheses 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11 and 12; while multiple regressions were used to test null hypotheses 5 and 10. Scheffe test was also done for a step-wise comparison of the means for hypotheses 5 and 10. The study revealed the following findings: Wellness oriented variables (physical, emotional, intellectual and social wellness) significantly predicted students’ adjustment independently and jointly in secondary schools. Intellectual wellness had the highest percentage contribution of 79.2%; followed by emotional wellness with 62.4%, physical wellness with 60.8% and lastly social wellness which predicted 37.27% of students’ adjustment in secondary schools. Wellness oriented variables (physical, emotional, intellectual and social wellness) significantly predicted students’ academic achievement independently and jointly. Intellectual wellness had the highest percentage contribution of 72.3%; followed by emotional wellness with 65.6%, physical wellness with 62.4% and lastly social wellness+ which predicted 39.7% of students’ academic achievement in secondary schools. Wellness oriented variables were not significant predictors of male and female students’ adjustments in secondary schools as wellness oriented variables predicted only 4.7% and 4.6% of the adjustments of the male and female students respectively. Wellness oriented variables were not significant predictors of male and female students’ academic achievement in secondary schools as wellness oriented variables predicted only 4.6% and 4.5% of the academic achievement of the male and female students respectively. Among the educational implications was that the study could provide supportive frameworks from which one can explore the relationship existing between wellness oriented variables and students’ adjustment and academic achievement in secondary schools. It was thus recommended that school counselors/psychologists, teachers and parents should provide secondary school students information from this study; which would help them understand the primary components of wellness oriented programmes and the impact of wellness oriented variables on their school adjustment and academic achievement.