Influence of academic control and academic stress on online test anxiety: A structural equation modelling study

Abstract

This study focuses on the influence of academic control and academic stress on online test anxiety using structural equation modelling approach. Two hypotheses guided the study. The data for the study was collected from one thousand secondary school students (540 females and 460 males) using purposive sampling techniques in Ughelli North Local Government Area of Delta State, Nigeria. CFA revealed that the three factors conformed well to the structure of the model and fitted to the data, with indices of CFI = 0.952, AGFI = 0.878, RMSEA = 0.051; and a statistically significant chi-square χ2/df = 1.758. In the structural model, the three factors conformed well to the structure of the model and fitted to the data, with indices of CFI = 0.932, AGFI = 0.888, RMSEA = 0.059; and a statistically significant chi-square χ2/df = 1.838. The results of the study also indicated that academic self-control and academic stress have significant influence on online testing anxiety. The researcher recommended that the school principals should organize workshops and seminars for students on how to control online test anxiety.