PSYCHO-SOCIAL PREDICTORS AS CORRELATES OF SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL TWO STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN LITERACY SKILLS IN PANKSHIN, PLATEAU STATE, NIGERIA

The study investigated psychosocial predictors as correlates of Senior Secondary Two Students’ academic performance in literacy skills in Pankshin, Plateau State. The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between psychosocial predictors (self-esteem, self-concept and assertiveness) and students’ academic performance in English Language literacy skills. The study was guided by three research questions and three hypotheses. The study adopted a correlational survey design. Using a multistage sampling technique, 349 SS2 students' were used as sample size drawn from the population of 8,785 SS2 students' for 2023/2024 session. Psychosocial Predictors and Performance in English Questionnaire (PPP-EQ) and  English Literacy Development Performance Test (ELDPT) were used for data collection. They were first  validated by three experts and tested for reliabilities. The PPP-EQ yielded a reliability of 0.94, using Cronbach Alpha, while the ELDPT yielded a reliability of 0.91 using Kuder Richardson 21(K-R 21) formula. The three research questions were answered and three hypotheses  tested using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Co-efficient at 0.05 alpha level of significance. The findings revealed self-esteem has significant relationship with students’ academic performance in English Language literacy skills (reading and writing), while self-concept and assertiveness have no significant correlation with students’ academic performance in English Language literacy skills. Based on the findings, it was recommended among others that  Language experts and researchers should write and publish textbooks and journals on the effective roles of self-esteem in the lives of  students in enhancing their proficiency in English Language literacy skills.