COMPUTER ANXIETY AND MATHEMATICS PHOBIA AS PREDICTORS OF POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS ACHIEVEMENT IN EDUCATIONAL STATISTICS IN NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES

Nnamdi Obikeze (PhD), Comfort Amaechi Ifeakor (PhD), Mary Okwuchukwu Akujieze (PhD), Christiana Nneamaka Anujeonye

Abstract


The study investigated computer anxiety and mathematics phobia as predictors of postgraduate students academic achievement in Educational Statistics in universities. Three hypotheses guided the study. The design of the study was correlational. A sample size of 55 Faculty of Education postgraduate students were selected for the study. A total of 25 postgraduate students drawn from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka and 30 postgraduate students from Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Igbariam were randomly sampled for the study. Three instruments, Computer Anxiety Rating Scale (CARS), Mathematics Phobia Questionnaire (MPQ) and Academic Achievement of 2015/2016 postgraduate students on Statistical Methods in Educational Research were used for data collection. CARS and MPQ were adopted. The two instruments were validated by experts in Measurement and Evaluation. The reliability coefficient of CARS and MPQ were 0.82 and 0.76 respectively which were determined using Cronbach Alpha technique for internal consistency of the instruments. The instruments were administered to the respondents by the researchers with the help of two trained research assistants. Linear, multiple regression analysis and analysis of variance (ANOVA) associated with regression analysis were used to test the hypotheses at .05 probability level. The results revealed that both computer anxiety and mathematics phobia separately significantly predicted postgraduate students academic achievement in Educational Statistics. Computer anxiety and mathematics phobia jointly significantly predicted postgraduates’ academic achievement in Educational Statistics. Based on the findings, it was recommended among others, that postgraduate students should be proficient with the use of computers and mathematical abilities so that they would not be scared at the instance of educational statistics courses.


Keywords


Computer anxiety, Mathematics phobia, Educational Statistics, academic achievement

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