CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1
Background to the Study
Education plays
a very important role in the economic development of a country as it is aimed
at supplying the economy with human capital that can convert effectively and
efficiently other resources into output of high value. It is perceived as the
corner stone of economic and social development and a principle means of
providing for the welfare of individuals (Orodho, 2004). Educational
organizations are founded with theview of helping society and as well enhance
knowledge, attitudes and skills (Okumbe 1999).
There have been
many discussions on reasons why students do not do well in school. With the
rapidly changing educational environments in many countries in the world over,
there is an opening for research exploring solutions to the challenge of
enhancing student academic performance to getting a good education. Many
variables play a role to students’ academic performance. Academic motivation is
an important psychological construct for learning and academic performance in
all the school subjects (Schunk, 1991). Since it is unobservable, it can only
be inferred from actions or verbalisation. The relationship between academic
motivation and academic performance is still unclear and can only be determined
with continued observation of the students. In this study the contribution of
academic motivation towards school attendance and academic performance was
explored.
Okumbe (1999)
explained that schools have two goals which are performance or outcome goals
and organizational maintenance goals. Schools pursue performance goals by
attempting to be top performers in national examinations. Organization
maintenance goals are activities which sustain it and ensure its survival.
These include high academic and discipline standards, good performance in
co-curricular activities and public image. In secondary schools set-ups,
efficient and effective achievement of the two goals, (performance or outcome
goals) which entails provision of quality education, which is determined by the
quality of both its inputs and output (Okumbe, 1999). It hence calls for
quality teaching and learning, a fact supported by Dornyei (2001) who stressed
that the achievement of successful schooling largely depends on the quality of
teaching force.
Although
performance on standardized tests receives the greatest attention in
discussions of students’ academic performance, teachers’ evaluations of
performance as indicated in course grades represent a common metric of student
performance that often is more directly tied to the day-to-day business of
teaching and learning than are annual standardized test scores. Grades serve a
number of important functions. They explain to students and parents about
students’ mastery of course content. In high school, a passing grade is also
the criterion for a course’s contributing to a favourable mean score. Finally,
grades provide information for consideration in university or college
admissions. However, as a measure of academic performance, teacher-given grades
have well-known limitations. Grades are composite measures that account not
only for students’ content mastery but often for other factors, such as their
class participation, attitudes, progress over time, and attendance. General and
special educators are understood to consider these factors during grading, but
to emphasize different factors. Despite many complicating factors, student
grades still are an important indicator within the academic performance outcome
domain for students because they indicate success by a teacher’s standards and
success relative to other students in a given classroom (Yang, 2003). This
study aims to investigate student motivation and
academic achievement with a cross sectional analysis of selected secondary
school students in Eti-osa LGA, Lagos, Nigeria.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Educators have a
major role of helping children and youth become successful in school and in
life. In order to realize this goal, students need to acquire a solid base of
academic, social, and emotional skills. The ability to recognize and manage
emotions, develop care and concern for others, make responsible decisions,
establish positive relationships, and handle challenging situations effectively
are key to school and life success.
Development of
academic motivation in students ought to be an important goal for educators and
teachers because of its inherent importance for the future. Studies have shown
a decline in academic motivation and academic performance in many children as
they move from elementary school into secondary school. The basic principles of
social and emotional learning also serve as the underlying principles of
motivation. A deeper understanding of these principles enables committed adults
to create an environment that fosters children’s motivation to learn.
A few empirical
studies have actually investigated the precision of the relationship between
individual academic motivation and academic performance. Thus, this current
study had the potential to underscore the relationship between academic
motivation, and academic performance among secondary school students in Eti-osa LGA, Lagos.
1.3 Research Objectives
The general
objective or main objective of this study is to investigate student motivation and academic achievement with a
cross sectional analysis of selected secondary school students in Eti-osa LGA,
Lagos, Nigeria. The specific objectives are:
i)
To
examine the effects of motivation on learning among secondary school students
ii)
To investigate
the prevalence of motivation and academic performance among secondary school
students
iii)
To
understand the influence of the
students’ age on academic motivation and academic performance among secondary
school students
1.4 Research
Questions
The following are
some of the questions which this study intends to answer:
i)
What
are the effects of motivation on learning among secondary school students?
ii)
What
is the prevalence of motivation and academic performance among secondary school
students?
iii)
What is
the influence of the
students’ age on academic motivation and academic performance among secondary
school students?
1.5 Research
Hypotheses
The followings are the research hypotheses to
be tested in this study:
i)
There is a significant
relationship between motivation and academic performance amongsecondary school
students
ii)
There is a significant
correlation between students’ age on
academic motivation and academic performance among secondary school students
1.6 Significance of the Study
The findings of the study are significant
in the following ways: Lagos State Ministry of Education will benefit from the
study in getting to know what to include in its post teacher training needs to
be able to motivate students to perform well academically. The findings may be
used by academicians and other researchers for further research on how to
improve students’ motivation. The Ministry of Education will use the findings
to improve various students’ motivational strategies. The findings of the study
will be useful to serving teachers, headteachers and students in identifying
factors that motivate students and hence make adjustments where necessary.
1.7 Scope
of the Study
This study investigates
student motivation and academic achievement
among selected secondary school students in Eti-osa LGA, Lagos. Therefore,
the study will be carried out among ten selected secondary schools in around Eti-osa LGA. For better result, five selected
secondary schools each from public and private schools in the area.
1.8 Limitation
of the Study
In the course of
this study the researcher probably encountered by the following limitations.
The study was conducted in only the banking sector as a case study. Therefore
the study could be limited by the following limitations.
Time
factor: it was
anticipated that the time for the study may not be enough to carry out
intensive and extensive study since some of the information is not easily and
quickly available. Therefore the researcher used extra time; weekends so as to
be able to collect, analyse and interpret the collected data.
Lack
of enough funds: the
funds available for the researcher is not enough to meet all expenses during
the study like transport cost, photocopies and stationeries expenses. Hence the
researcher conducted the study in accordance with the fund provided by the
sponsor and the researcher own fund.