Title: Development And Validation Of The E-Test Anxiety Scale (Eta-S) For In-School Adolescents In Southwest Nigeria
Authors: Akinloye Oladosu and David Adebayo Oluwole
Volume: 9
Issue: 6
Pages: 160-170
Publication Date: 2025/06/28
Abstract:
The rise of digital assessment methods in educational systems has introduced new psychological challenges for students, particularly test-related anxiety triggered by electronic testing environments. This study aimed to develop and validate a culturally appropriate and psychometrically sound E-Test Anxiety Scale (ETA-S) for in-school adolescents in Southwest Nigeria. The instrument was designed to capture four key dimensions of E-Test anxiety: worry, emotional exhaustion, computer anxiety, and academic inefficacy. A total of 1,200 in-school adolescents were selected using a multistage sampling technique across public secondary schools in the region. The research followed a methodological design incorporating item generation, expert review, pilot testing, exploratory factor analysis, and reliability estimation. Results from the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure (0.718) and Bartlett's Test of Sphericity (p < .001) confirmed sampling adequacy for factor analysis. The final 44-item scale showed high internal consistency, with Cronbach's alpha values ranging from .905 (raw items) to .909 (standardised items). Item-total correlations indicated that most items contributed meaningfully to the overall construct. Findings affirmed the scale's validity and reliability, establishing its utility for identifying adolescents at risk of digital test anxiety. The ETA-S provides a valuable tool for educational psychologists, teachers, and policymakers aiming to support students' emotional well-being in increasingly digital learning environments. Recommendations were made for its integration into counselling, digital readiness programmes, and national education assessments. Further studies are suggested to explore its application across diverse populations and academic contexts.