Dr Fegha Evelyn Ilogho & Dr Moyosola Jude Akomolafe
Abstract
This study adopted survey research design to investigate test anxiety, gender and emotional intelligence competencies as predictors of academic performance of secondary school students in mathematics in Ondo State. The population of the study consisted all senior secondary school II students in Ondo State. Multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select 360 students for the study. It was guided by two research questions and four hypotheses tested at 0.05 level of significance. A questionnaire titled Emotional Intelligence Competencies and Test Anxiety Questionnaire (EICTAQ) and a proforma were used as instruments to collect data. Data collected were analysed using percentages, multiple regression and PPMC statistics. Findings showed, among others, that test anxiety, gender, and emotional intelligence competencies had significant influence on the academic performance of students in mathematics (F= (3, 356) =862.302); p< 0.05). The result also revealed positive significant relationship between emotional intelligence and academic performance in mathematics (r= 0.67) and negative moderate relationship between test anxiety and academic performance (r= -0.46). There was significant relationship between gender and academic performance of students in mathematics (r=0.591). It was recommended that students’ emotional intelligence competencies be enhanced with programmes to mitigate test anxiety and improve students’ performance.