Abubakar Wakeh Yawa
Abstract
This study investigated the relationship between socio-economic background, test anxiety and academic achievement among undergraduate students in North-West geopolitical zone, Nigeria. This research employed correlational design using three (3) objectives as a guide for the study. The population of this study is made up of eleven thousand, two hundred and twenty-five (11,225) 300 level students of the three sampled universities. The sample of this study is 370 male and female students of the three selected universities, selected using simple random sampling technique. Two main instruments, socio-economic background and test anxiety inventory and students’ academic achievement result, were used for this study. The data collected was analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study revealed, amongst others, that significant relationship exists between socio-economic background and test anxiety (p=0.003, r=0.566). It was recommended, among others, that university management should set up functional psychological testing and counselling centres to assist in treating students with anxiety problem so as to enhance proper adjustment.