PARENTING STYLES AND SELF-EFFICACY AS DETERMINANTS OF MATHEMATICS TEST ANXIETY AMONG IN-SCHOOL ADOLESCENTS IN ABUJA

Abstract

Mathematics is a compulsory subject at the primary and secondary schools in Nigeria, such that students’ performance in mathematics have become a worrisome narratives among stakeholders. Adolescents often experience academic pressure because school success is closely linked to academic progression, prestige, and family pride. This study therefore examined parenting styles and self-efficacy as predictors of test anxiety among in-school adolescents in Abuja, Nigeria. The objectives of the study were to determine the prevalent parenting styles among parents of adolescents, assess the level of self-efficacy and test anxiety among students, and examine the relationship between parenting styles, self-efficacy, and test anxiety. The study adopted a descriptive research design of a correlational type. The population comprised all students in government secondary schools across the six area councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, while the target population consisted of Senior Secondary School II students in Government Senior Secondary Schools. A multistage sampling procedure was used to select 360 students from 18 sampled schools. Data were collected using a structured self-developed questionnaire titled Parenting Styles, Self-Efficacy, and Test Anxiety Questionnaire (PSTEAQ). The instrument was validated by experts and its reliability established through Cronbach’s Alpha of which 0.82 were ascertained as the reliability coefficient. Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were used for data analysis, with Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation and multiple linear regression tested at 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that Parenting styles and self-efficacy jointly predicted Mathematics test anxiety among the adolescents. Based on the findings, the study recommended that schools should implement programmes aimed at strengthening students’ academic self-efficacy through mentoring, counselling, and confidence-building learning strategies in order to help students effectively manage test-related anxiety.