Psycho-Academic Variables and Mathematics Achievement of 9th Grade Students in Nigeria

The aim of this study was to examine the role of students’ five psycho-academic variables in predicting their academic achievement in mathematics. Participants included a total of 853 9th grade students (407 males and 446 females) randomly sampled from 20 secondary schools in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria, who answered a 40-item Mathematics Standardised Test and a Psycho-academic Questionnaire constructed with five variables. The results from multiple regression analyses indicated that only students’ study habits and attitude toward school were significant in contributing to mathematics achievement. The other three variables, test anxiety, test wiseness and attitude towards mathematics were not statistically significant at the individual level. The results highlighted the importance of certain psycho-academic variables on predicting mathematics achievement, and suggest the replication of these results across all areas of the curriculum.