CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Education is important for the country's growth because it produces the right

kind of human resource, which boosts production and drives out ignorance,

poverty, and illness. It is the duty of education as a whole to transform and

transfer proficiency to society for individual and societal growth. According to

the Federal Republic of Nigeria (2013), education is a tool for social and

national transformation. Education is therefore focused on achieving goals and

objectives that can create individual and national development for self-

fulfilment and society transformation.

The adage that all operations in the education sector are focused on assessing

the efficacy and efficiency of input, process, and product cannot be refuted

(Amaeze, 2017). The results of an evaluation of this type of student serve as one

indicator of how well the student is performing academically. In Nigeria, it has

been noted that senior secondary school pupils' academic performance has been

declining over time, particularly in public senior secondary schools. There could

be numerous causes for this. These factors fall into the areas of psychological,

social, and economic factors, as well as factors pertaining to the academic

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environment. Still, psychological variables will be the main focus of this

investigation (Kyoshaba, 2019).

The majority of the time, our daily psychology determines whether we succeed

or fail in the different tasks we undertake every day. As a result, people may

experience a range of psychological issues that may seriously impair their

ability to go about their regular lives. Psychological variables like stress,

anxiety, sadness, motivational deficits, loneliness, helplessness, and phobias are

the primary causes of these issues. These psychological issues can cause senior

secondary school children to struggle academically, have test anxiety, perform

poorly, lack confidence, worry unnecessarily, and feel uneasy or afraid, all of

which can interfere with their ability to operate normally (Elliot, Kratochwill,

Cook and Travers, 2019).

In addition to the previously mentioned issue, a variety of psychological factors

affect how well pupils succeed academically. In addition to these, these

variables include the learner's age, sex, social background, study habits, interest,

frustration, tension, and other aspects (Butler and Ruzany, 2013). It appears that

a lot of research has been done on the aforementioned elements. Therefore, this

study concludes that it is important to investigate how students' poor academic

performance is influenced by anxiety, low self-esteem, and lack of motivation.

According to Ossai (2012), anxiety is a psychological component marked by an

unpleasant condition of inner turmoil, which is frequently accompanied by tense

thinking. It is the subjectively unpleasant sensations of dread about what's

coming up, like tenseness, heart palpitations, perspiration, weakness in the legs,

and dry mouth. Anxiety is characterised by a loss of attention, restlessness,

generalised and unfocused worry, and the expectation of a threat in the future. It

can also be an overreaction to a circumstance that is only subjectively perceived

as menacing. Constantly anxious students are more likely to perform poorly

academically due to their inability to focus and restlessness (Dillon, 2018).

Additionally, the aspect of self-esteem that deals with children's perceptions of

their academic prowess is known as academic self-esteem (Tariola and

Kobiown, 2012). High or low self-esteem is possible. Academic performance

can be negatively impacted by low self-esteem, but it can also be positively

impacted by good self-esteem. The focus of this study is poor self-esteem.

Students that have a low self-esteem perceive themselves as incapable,

incompetent, dependent on the opinions of others, failure, lacking in necessities

for education, rejected, and guilty (Vialle, Heaven, and Ciarrochi, 2015).

Moreover, motivation is the result of a person's drive and energy combined with

a goal in mind. It is what started the activity. It can be extrinsic, like prizes and

punishments, or intrinsic, like emotions of accomplishment and contentment.

Students that are not very motivated academically show little interest in

pursuing their academic objectives. These pupils exhibit telltale indications and

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symptoms of apathy and disinterest in their studies (Tella, 2017). According to

research on the examination of perceptions of competence, kids who think of

themselves as academically proficient are more driven to do well in school

(Harter, 2018).

In order to determine their contributions to students' subpar academic

performance in senior secondary schools, these psychological elements will be

evaluated in this study. The degree to which the goal of education is realised in

students' lives will depend on how well educators and other professionals in the

field of education manage these aspects. In light of this, the study aims to

determine the relationship between senior secondary school students' subpar

academic performance and a few of these chosen psychological characteristics,

including anxiety, low self-esteem, and lack of motivation.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The public's protest over kids' subpar academic performance in our educational

system, particularly in senior secondary schools, is growing. When awarded

admission to postsecondary schools, students' incapacity to handle higher

education tasks effectively is one indicator of this issue. There could be a lot of

reasons for this circumstance. However, while talking about senior secondary

school students' poor academic performance, the influence of worry, low self-

esteem, and lack of motivation has been somewhat quiet (Baran and Maskan,

2011).
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When someone is worried, they typically find it difficult to understand anything

that is spoken to them, and when this occurs to a student, they are unable to

understand anything that the teacher says to them. While self-esteem provides

an individual's impression of their abilities and limitations, anxiety plays a

significant influence in the learner's distraction. However, motivation can assist

the learner reorganise and prepare for the work at hand. When a learner feels

motivated, they are likely to feel relieved of numerous anxieties that could

cause them to fail, which will encourage them to fulfil their obligations.

Therefore, there is still great worry about the impact of psychological issues on

academic success. Therefore, by attempting to determine whether anxiety, low

self-esteem, and lack of motivation can result in the poor academic performance

of secondary school students, this study aims to explore and understand the

complex relationship between psychological factors and the poor academic

performance of students.

1.3 Aim and Objectives of the Study

The main purpose of this study is to investigate the poor academic performance

of students due to psychological factors, and with the aim of proffering possible

remedy. Specifically, the objectives of the study are to;

i. identify psychological factors that affect students’ poor academic

performance in senior secondary schools.

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 ii. determine the effect of anxiety on the poor academic performance of

students in senior secondary schools.

iii. find out how low self-esteem can result to the poor academic

performance of students in senior secondary schools.

iv. ascertain the effect of lack of motivation on the poor academic

performance of students in senior secondary schools.

1.4 Research Questions

The study seeks answers to the following research questions

i. What are the psychological factors that can affect students’ academic

performance in senior secondary school?

ii. Is the poor academic performance of students in senior secondary

schools as a result of anxiety?

iii. Does low self-esteem lead to the poor academic performance of

students in senior secondary schools?

iv. Can lack of motivation result to the poor academic performance of

students in senior secondary schools?

1.5 Research Hypotheses

The following null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study.

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 Ho1: There is no significant relationship between anxiety and the poor

academic performance of students in senior secondary schools.

Ho2: There is no significant relationship between low self-esteem and the

poor academic performance of students in senior secondary schools.

Ho3: There is no significant relationship between lack of motivation and

the poor academic performance of students in senior secondary

schools.

1.6 Scope and Delimitation of the Study

This study is delimited to public senior secondary schools in Gwagwalada Area

Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), while the scope of the study will

cover variables such as; anxiety, low self-esteem, lack of motivation, and poor

academic performance.

1.7 Significance of the Study

Students, instructors, administrators, parents, guidance counsellors, the general

public, and other researchers will find this study to be extremely important.

The study will be helpful to students, who will be the main recipients of the

research's findings, since it will inform them about the risks anxiety poses to

them and the importance of having a good self-esteem and motivation.

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Additionally, it will give them the tools they need to handle the pressure from

the aforementioned factors, improving their academic performance.

Teachers will gain a great deal from this research because it will inform them,

help them recognise students who may have anxiety issues, and make them

think about strategies to lessen the unfavourable factors in the classroom.

Additionally, it will enlighten them and give them the tools necessary to push

students to study and emphasise the importance of having a positive self-

esteem. Instructors will be aware of the need to support students in creating a

positive self-esteem and lowering their anxiety levels related to schoolwork.

School administrators stand to gain equally from the study's findings, which will

assist them in creating a congenital school culture and climate by improving

teaching and learning through the development of a positive emotional climate.

They will benefit from this study since it will help them see how important it is

for teachers and students to be motivated in the classroom in order to effectively

teach and learn.

The findings of this research will provide parents with comprehensive

understanding of anxiety, motivation, and self-esteem, as well as how these

factors affect students' growth and development and the overall functioning of

the educational system. Furthermore, they must support their wards in

overcoming anxiety obstacles, cultivating a positive self-image, and inspiring

them to strive for academic excellence. The child's routine should prioritise
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getting them ready for tomorrow rather than the other way around. For if the

youngster is not ready for tomorrow, they won't be able to fit in since they won't

have the necessary abilities.

Guidance counsellors would also greatly benefit from this research in their

efforts to combat subpar academic performance in secondary education. Since

they are aware of the various types of anxiety concerns, it is necessary to

identify and treat students who struggle with anxiety, motivation, and a poor

self-esteem in order to improve their academic performance in the classroom.

The results of this study will also assist them in conducting beneficial research,

giving them newfound knowledge to counsel students and teachers on the

importance of academic achievement.

Lastly, this study will be helpful to other researchers studying anxiety,

motivation, and self-esteem in secondary school settings in the fields of

education, sociology, management, psychology, and social sciences.

1.8 Definition of terms

To prevent misunderstandings, the following words used in this work have been

defined for the benefit of readers and future researchers.

Anxiety: Anxiety is characterised by feelings of insecurity, anger, decreased

self-liking, and perceived guilt that prevent a person from solving their own

problems.

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Self-esteem: The term “self-esteem” describes the individual convictions a

student has regarding his or her aptitude for a subject.

Motivation: This is the internal drive that steers behaviour in a certain

direction.

Academic performance: This is the result of learning experiences as

determined by test results.

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