Open Journal of Psychology, 2022, 2, 384 www.scipublications.org/journal/index.php/ojp DOI: 10.31586/ojp.2022.384 DOI:https://doi.org/10.31586/ojp.2022.384 Open Journal of Psychology Research Article Causes, Effects and Management of Science Anxiety among Senior High School Students in Old Tafo Municipality of Ghana Stephen Doh Fia 1,* , Charles Fosu-Ayarkwah 2 , Thomas Obuobi-Ayim 3 1 Department of Guidance and Counselling, University of Cape Coast, Ghana 2 Department of Education, Kibi Presbyterian College of Education, Kibi, Ghana 3 Department of Social Sciences, Pankrono M/A Junior High School, Kumasi, Ghana *Correspondence: Stephen Doh Fia (sfia@ucc.edu.gh) Abstract: The purpose of the study was to investigate the causes, effects, and management of science anxiety among Senior High School (SHS) students in the Old Tafo Metropolis of the Ashanti Region of Ghana. The descriptive survey research design was adopted for the study. A sample of 337 students were selected from Osei Kyeretwie Senior High School and Al Azhariya Islamic Senior High School using the stratified random sampling procedure. Data were collected by using the Science Anxiety Scale and analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The study revealed that the respondents had some level of science anxiety in relation to doing science homework, having a negative attitude toward the science teacher, having fearful when entering the science classroom as well as solving science problems. The study also revealed that the causes of science anxiety involve the content, lack of infrastructure, and inadequate teaching and learning materials to make the subject easy to understand. The study revealed that science anxiety affected students’ academic performance negatively, reduced their interest in science, prevent them from pursuing science programmes in the future, and also affected school attendance. The study recommended that school heads should provide the necessary infrastructure and teaching materials that will make the teaching and learning of science practical and easy to understand. Keywords: Causes, Effects, Management, Science, Anxiety 1. Introduction Schools in general can be stressful for children due to increased academic demand and additional obligations [1]. Science classes have been found to be especially demanding for some students [2, 3]. The intensity and difficulty of science-related materials is a significant source of anxiety among students [4, 5]. The experience of science anxiety is able to affect the overall performance of students [6]. Science Education provided at the Senior High School is very important since it prepares the individual student for higher education in order to become a valuable person who will contribute his quota towards national development and also fit well into the Society. Teaching science therefore provides students with science experiences that give them enough opportunities for precise and rightful observation and draw logical conclusions from adequate evidence. It is therefore important to develop concepts that are in line with the aims of teaching science curriculum, skills and habit that are vital in dealing with everyday problems of life [7]. However, it seems that students at the Senior High School level experience anxiety in science subjects whenever lessons are going on, when doing How to cite this paper: Fia, S. D., Fosu-Ayarkwah, C., & Obuobi-Ayim, T. (2022). Causes, Effects and Management of Science Anxiety among Senior High School Students in Old Tafo Municipality of Ghana. Open Journal of Psychology, 2(1), 46–57. Retrieved from https://www.scipublications.com/ journal/index.php/ojp/article/vie w/384 Received: May 10, 2022 Accepted: August 01, 2022 Published: August 02, 2022 Copyright: © 2022 by the authors. Submitted for possible open access publication under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses /by/4.0/).