INFLUENCE OF SELF-ESTEEM ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF PUBLIC SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN POTISKUM EDUCATION ZONE, YOBE STATE, NIGERIA

This research investigated the influence of self - esteem on academic achievement of public senior secondary school students in Potiskum Education Zone Yobe State, Nigeria. For the conduct of the research, three objectives, three research questions and three hypotheses were used. A correlational design was adopted for the purpose of this research work.  The total population of the study was (7117) from six public senior secondary schools. A sample of 364 students was selected which made up of 184 male and 180 female students (SS 1 and SS 2) through purposive random sampling technique. Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale questionnaire was used to measure self-esteem and end of term academic examination scores of students for data were collected. Pilot testing was carried out on two senior secondary schools which were not part of the present research.  The instrument was found to have r=0.58 as its reliability coefficient.  Rosenberg Self-esteem scale questionnaire was distributed to the student participants and data collected was analysed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) Statistic. Independent sample t-test was used to find out academic differences between high and low self-esteem students. Also, the differences in self - esteem between male and female students and their academic achievement. The findings showed that there was significant positive relationship between self - esteem and academic achievement among respondents P=.006. This finding also indicated no significant difference between the academic achievement of students with high self- esteem and those with low self- esteem (P = .305;. Likewise, there is no significant difference between genders (P = .000). Based on these findings, it was recommended that teachers and parents should help and developed students' self- esteem by assisting them feel and think positively. This would encourage them to improve their academic achievement. Society should give boys as well as girls equal opportunities to continue attending schools as well as work and improve themselves. Also, society should avoid giving preference of one sex over the other as it could influence the self-worth of the neglected sex and lead to unwillingness to learn which could leads to poor academic achievement.