RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TEST ANXIETY AND INTEREST OF STUDENTS IN ELECTRICAL INSTALLATION WORK PRACTICAL IN TECHNICAL COLLEGES IN FEDERAL CAPITAL TERRITORY, ABUJA

Owodunni, A. S. & Saka-Alikinla, I.

Abstract

The study investigated the relationship between test anxiety and students interest in Electrical Installation and Maintenance Work (EIMW) Trade Practical in Technical Colleges in Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja. The study adopted correlation research design. Three research questions and three hypotheses guided the study. The population for this study comprised of 1118EIMW students in all Government Technical Colleges in FCT, Abuja of Nigeria. The entire population was used for the students. EIMW Test Anxiety Scale (EIMWTAS) and EIMW Interest inventory (EIMWII) were the instruments used for the study. The EIMWTAS and EIMWII were subjected to reliability analysis using Cronbach Alpha to determine their internal consistency and reliability index of 0.93 and 0.91 were obtained for the instruments respectively. The data collected was analyzed using mean and regression analysis at 0.05 level of significance. The results showed that there was a significant low relationship between students’ test anxiety and students’ interest in EIMW Practical in Technical Colleges and gender significantly moderates the prediction of students’ interest in EIMW. Consequently, it was recommended among other things that; early intervention and proactive prevention programmes that would aid the reduction of anxiety and nervousness in students be developed and implemented so as to increase students’ interest in EIMW Practical and students.

Keywords: Anxiety, Text anxiety. Interest, gender