BULLYING, PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLBEING AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE AMONG SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN RIVERS STATE

Abstract

This study examined bullying, psychological well-being, and academic performance in English Language among senior secondary school students in Rivers State. the study was guided by five objectives, five research questions and five hypotheses. The study employed a correlational research design. The population of the study comprised 191,155 senior secondary school students across Rivers State. A sample of 400 senior secondary school students was selected using a multistage sampling technique. The study utilized three instruments: the “Students' Bullying Questionnaire” (SBQ), the “Students' Psychological Wellbeing Questionnaire” (SPWQ), and “English Language Performance Assessment Multiple Choice Test” (ELAMCT). The instruments were validated through expert review and pilot testing, and their reliability was established using Cronbach's alpha and Kuder Richardson 21 (KR-21) statistics. The overall reliability index of α= 0.89 for SBQ and α= 0.79 for SPWQ were obtained. The data collected were analyzed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) to answer the research questions 1-4 and test the null hypotheses 1-4 at 0.05 level of significance while the moderated multiple correlation (partial correlation) analysis was used to answer research question 5 and test hypothesis 5 at 0.05 level of significance. The finding revealed that, Social bullying showed a moderate negative relationship with academic performance while cyberbullying demonstrated no significant relationship with academic performance. emotional well-being, and social well-being were found to exhibited positive relationships on academic performance. Additionally, the study found a joint influence of bullying and psychological well-being on academic performance. In conclusion, the study highlighted the detrimental impact of bullying on academic performance, particularly physical and verbal bullying, and emphasized the positive influence of emotional well-being. It recommended that school administrators and educators implement comprehensive anti-bullying programme and psychological support initiatives to mitigate the effects of bullying and enhance students' emotional well-being, which in turn could improve their academic performance.