Test anxiety and academic achievement in junior secondary schools in Kitutu Chache north sub-county, Kisii, Kenya: A correlation study

Anxiety is a type of self-preoccupation that shows up as self-minimization. It causes poor cognitive evaluation, difficulty focusing, negative psychological reactions and academic failure. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between junior secondary school students' academic achievements and test anxiety. The study employed a cross-sectional and descriptive correlation design. Six junior secondary schools provided a stratified sample of forty-five teachers and 388 JSS students. The Test Anxiety Inventory (TAI), a four-point Likert scale with 20 items questionnaire that was created by Spielberger in 1980 was used alongside with the interviews for teachers. The academic achievement of the students was assessed using document analysis with their average score in eight subjects’ performance during the first term of the 2025 school year. The mean, standard deviation, percentage and Pearson correlation were calculated. Students' achievement scores and test anxiety were revealed to be significantly correlated negatively. The findings indicated that cognitive variables account for a greater proportion of test anxiety than affective aspects. According to the study's findings, female students reported far higher levels of test anxiety mean 2.76 than their male counterparts mean 2.54. Thus, it is determined that test anxiety is one of the elements that contribute to students' poor performance and underachievement. Though, it can be controlled by providing students with the necessary instruction on how to handle test anxiety-causing environments. It is strongly advised to take into account the psychological elements that contribute to extreme test anxiety in junior secondary school students. Students should have access to counseling services when they need them.