Educational Psychology Research Journal
© 2019 Educational Psychology Journal (ISBN: 9781393108948 )
https://research.educationalpsychjournal.org/
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POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS’ ATTITUDE TOWARDS RESEARCH, RESEARCH SELF-
EFFICACY AND RESEARCH ANXIETY AS PREDICTORS OF THEIR ACHIEVEMENT
SCORES IN A RESEARCH METHOD COURSE IN SOUTH-SOUTH NIGERIA
By
Obaseki, Fidelia Nwabuno
Agu, Ngozi
fidamakus@yahoo.com
Department of Educational Foundations,
Faculty of Education
Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka.
Abstract
Research-led insights affect everything people do in society. However, at the postgraduate level,
there is evidence of very poor performance in students’ achievement with respect to research skills
in Sub-Sahara Africa. It was this basis that the study investigated postgraduate students’ attitude
towards research, research self-efficacy and research anxiety as predictors to their achievement
scores in a research method course in South-South, Nigeria. Four hypotheses guided the study.
Correlational research design was adopted for the study. A total of 818 post graduate students
from the faculties of education within the area earmarked, constituted the study’s sample and it
was drawn using a stratified and a simple random sampling technique. Data was collected
through three sets of questionnaire titled Postgraduate Students’ Attitude towards Research
Questionnaire (PSARQ), Postgraduate Students’ Research Self-Efficacy Questionnaire (PSRSQ)
and Postgraduate Students’ Research Anxiety Questionnaire (PSRAQ) which contained 42 items.
The data collected were analysed using inferential statistics. The findings showed that post
graduate students’ attitude towards research, research self-efficacy and research anxiety do not
significantly predicted their achievement scores in Nigerian universities and that the students’
attitude towards research accounted for a greater proportion of variance in their academic
achievement scores and this was followed by their research anxiety and research self-efficacy
respectively. The implications of the study were highlighted and it was recommended that post
graduate lecturers should make efforts in gaining a better understanding of st udents’ perceptions
of the value of research and their research attitude, research anxiety and their research self-
efficacy. This would enhance a better design and consequent implementation of programme
especially research-related modules. Also, suggestions for further studies were made.
Keywords: Research, research attitude, research anxiety, research self-efficacy, academic
achievement, research method course