MODERATED-MEDIATION PATH ANALYSIS ON THE INFLUENCE OF STUDENTS’ VARIABLES ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN BIOLOGY IN ONITSHA EDUCATION ZONE OF ANAMBRA STATE
Keywords:
Academic Achievement of Students, Anxiety, Attitude, Biology, Moderated-Mediation Path Analysis, Self-Efficacy, Self-Esteem, Student Variables, Study Habit, Senior Secondary Schools.Abstract
The aim of the study was to determine moderated-mediation path analysis on influence of student variables (for example, students’ self-esteem and self-efficacy, attitude, anxiety and study habit) on academic achievement of students in Biology at Senior Secondary Schools (SSS) level in Onitsha Education Zone of Anambra State. Three research questions guided the study and three hypotheses were tested at a 0.05 level of significance. A correlational survey research design was adopted for the study. The sample comprised of 357 students who offered Biology at SSS level in Onitsha Education Zone of Anambra State. Five instruments were used for data collection, titled: Biology Attitude Questionnaire (BAQ), Rosenberg self-esteem scale (RSES), Biology self-efficacy Scale (BSEQ), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and Study Habit Inventory (SHI). Cronbach’s alpha was used in calculating the internal consistency of the items in the instruments, which yielded coefficient values of .79 for BAQ, .89 for RSES, .82 for BSEQ, .89 for BAI and .88 for SHI. The annual results (2022/2023 session) of SSS 2 students who offered Biology from the sampled schools were used to obtain academic achievement of students in Biology at SSS level in Onitsha Education Zone of Anambra State. The SPSS version 27 and MPLUS version 7 software were used in analyzing the data collected from the respondents. Research questions analyzed using mean, standard deviation, correlation and regression statistics. Hypotheses were analyzed using Chi-square statistic. The findings revealed that all the assumptions of the hypothesized causal model were upheld. Also, the models were fit and statistically significant and meaningful. The variables directly and indirectly through mediation variables in the model predicted academic achievement of students in Biology at SSS level in Onitsha Education Zone of Anambra State. The findings also revealed that an increase in any of the variables in the equations result in an increase in academic achievement of students in Biology at SSS level in Onitsha Education Zone of Anambra State while holding constant influence of other variables. Students’ gender also has significant moderation effect in all the variables.
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