EFFECTS OF CONSTRUCTIVE COPING STRATEGIES ON MATHEMATICS TEST ANXIETY AND ACADEMIC SELF-EFFICACY AMONG JUNIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS

ABSTRACT

This study investigated the effects of constructive coping strategies on Mathematics test anxiety and academic self-efficacy amongst Junior Secondary School (JSS2) students in Enugu State. Eight research questions were generated and eight null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The study was a 3X2 factorial design with two experimental groups and one control group.The population of the study comprised all the 2957 Junior Secondary School (JSS 11) students in 2016/2017 academic session. The sample consisted of 150 JSS 2 students in the three intact classes that were randomly selected from three co-educational schools in Enugu North Local Government Area of the state. The schools were randomly assigned to treatment and control groups. Three instruments: Mathematics Test Anxiety Scale (MTAS), Academic Self-Efficacy Scale (ASES), and Locus of Control Scale (LOCS) were used to generate data for the study. Three training packages: Problem Focused Constructive Coping Strategy, Emotion Focused Constructive Coping Strategy and Conventional Counseling were also developed. One Experimental group was exposed to the Problem-Focused Constructive Coping Strategy and another experimental group exposed to Emotion-Focused Constructive Coping Strategy while the control group received the Conventional Counseling. The data collected from the administration of the three instruments were organized and analyzed using mean scores, standard deviation, and analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). The major findings of the study were that training in constructive coping strategies reduced the mathematics test anxiety and enhanced the academic self-efficacy of JSS 2 students. Locus of control has no significant influence on the Mathematics test anxiety and academic self- efficacy of JSS2 students. Also, there is no significant interaction effect of locus of control and constructive coping strategies on the mathematics test anxiety and academic self-efficacy of JSS 2 students. Hence the study recommended that teachers and guidance counselors should use the strategies as  viable tools in helping students to overcome the anxiety associated with testing and examination in school subjects especially in Mathematics as well as enhance their academic self-efficacy.