CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the Study

Motivation is widely treated as one of the main drivers of success in school. Self-determination theory, one of the most influential frameworks in the field, holds that both intrinsic motivation and well-internalised, autonomous forms of extrinsic motivation predict positive educational outcomes across levels of schooling and cultural settings, and that these forms of motivation grow when students' needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness are supported (Ryan & Deci, 2020). In practical terms, students who are driven to master their work, who persist when it is difficult and who have a fair expectation of success tend to invest more effort in learning than those who see the goal as out of reach.

In Nigeria, concern about students' performance in external examinations continues. The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) reported that 72.12% of school candidates in the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) obtained credit passes in at least five subjects including English Language and Mathematics. For 2025, the figure was initially announced as much lower and was then amended to 62.96% after a grading error was corrected, which is still a decline of about nine percentage points on the 2024 level (Arise TV, 2025). A substantial share of candidates therefore continue to miss the credit threshold that tertiary admission normally requires.

Research on why some students perform better than others has examined motivation closely. Recent Nigerian studies, many of them in mathematics, point in different directions. Asanre (2024) surveyed 300 senior secondary students in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State, and found that intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, self-efficacy and goal orientation each had a positive and significant effect on mathematics achievement. In a study of 350 junior secondary students in the same area, Asanre et al. (2024) found that motivation and interest jointly predicted achievement. By contrast, Okigbo and Onoshakpokaiye (2023) studied 1,650 senior secondary students in Delta State and found that, although most reported strong motivation, academic motivation did not correlate significantly with their mathematics performance, even though performance differed between students with strong and weak motivation. These mixed findings suggest that the relationship between motivation and performance cannot simply be assumed and needs to be tested in each setting.

Interest in schoolwork is closely related to motivation. Within self-determination theory, interest and enjoyment are central features of intrinsic motivation, which is strengthened when classrooms and homes support students' basic psychological needs (Ryan & Deci, 2020). Students who find a subject engaging are more likely to listen to the teacher, take part in lessons and persist with tasks. Teachers can build on existing interests through attractive, concrete instructional materials and by relating lessons to topics students care about.

The home is another important influence. Parental support covers the encouragement, interest and practical involvement parents show in their children's schooling, such as attending school events, helping with homework and showing interest in what happens at school. A meta-analysis of 55 studies published between 2010 and 2019 found that parental involvement has a positive but small effect on academic achievement. Parental expectations had the largest effect, parental control had a small negative effect, and the size of the effect varied with a country's level of development (Erdem & Kaya, 2020). These results suggest that the kind of support parents give may matter as much as how much they give. It is also possible that parents' beliefs about gender shape the support they offer sons and daughters, and the study keeps this possibility in view when interpreting its findings.

Despite this body of work, there is limited evidence on how motivation, interest and parental support relate to students' examination performance in Akwa Ibom State. This study therefore investigates motivation and academic performance of students in Uyo Local Government Area.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

Students' academic performance in external examinations remains a concern. A plausible contributor is that some students lack adequate support at home, which can weaken their motivation and interest and, in turn, their results. Students are more likely to take their schoolwork seriously when parents and teachers show interest in it, and parents and teachers need to understand that interest in schoolwork can be cultivated and supported.

The study therefore asks: is there a relationship between motivation and academic performance in secondary schools in Uyo Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State?

1.3 Purpose of the Study

The purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of motivation on the academic performance of students in Uyo Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State, and to propose measures to ensure adequate motivation. The specific objectives were to:

1. Determine the influence of parental support on students' academic performance.
2. Determine the influence of motivation on students' academic performance.
3. Determine the influence of interest in schoolwork on the academic performance of students in Uyo Local Government Area.

1.4 Significance of the Study

The findings are expected to benefit students, parents, teachers, school principals and government authorities. For teachers and principals, they will indicate how motivation and interest relate to examination performance and so point to practical ways of strengthening both in the classroom. For parents, they will clarify the part that support at home plays in their children's schooling. For government authorities and education planners, the findings can inform policies and programmes aimed at improving students' performance. For researchers, the study adds local evidence to a literature in which findings on motivation and achievement remain mixed (Okigbo & Onoshakpokaiye, 2023; Asanre, 2024).

1.5 Scope and Delimitation of the Study

The study investigates the influence of motivation on the academic performance of students in Uyo Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State. It covers senior secondary students in mixed schools within the area. Because standardised testing is not available across all classes, performance is limited to results in WAEC examinations.

1.6 Research Questions

The following research questions guided the study:

1. How does parental support influence students' academic performance in Uyo Local Government Area?
2. What is the influence of motivation on students' academic performance in Uyo Local Government Area?
3. What is the influence of interest in schoolwork on students' academic performance in Uyo Local Government Area?

1.7 Hypotheses

The following null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study and were tested at the 0.05 level of significance:

HO1: Parental support has no significant influence on the motivation of secondary school students.

HO2: Motivation has no influence on students' academic performance in Uyo Local Government Area.

HO3: Interest in schoolwork has no influence on students' academic performance in Uyo Local Government Area.

1.8 Definition of Terms

Academic performance: A student's average outcome in schoolwork, tests and examinations. In this study it is measured through results in WAEC examinations.

Motivation: The internal and external factors that stimulate a student's desire and energy to stay interested in and committed to learning, and to keep making effort to perform well in examinations.

Interest in schoolwork: The attraction a student feels toward a subject, task or learning situation, which affects how the student responds in class and how much effort the student invests.

Parental support: The encouragement and involvement parents give their children in their schooling, including interest in school activities and help with homework.

References

Arise TV. (2025). WAEC issues amended results, records 62.96% pass rate in English and Mathematics. https://www.arise.tv/waec-issues-amended-results-records-62-96-pass-rate-in-english-and-mathematics

Asanre, A. A. (2024). Motivational factors as determinant of mathematics achievement of students in senior secondary schools. Interdisciplinary Journal of Education Research, 6, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.38140/ijer-2024.vol6.19

Asanre, A., Sondlo, A., & Abiodun, T. (2024). Impact of interest and motivation on academic achievement of junior secondary school students in mathematics. Journal of Mathematics Instruction, Social Research and Opinion, 3(3). https://doi.org/10.58421/misro.v3i3.269

Erdem, C., & Kaya, M. (2020). A meta-analysis of the effect of parental involvement on students' academic achievement. Journal of Learning for Development, 7(3), 367–383.

Okigbo, E. C., & Onoshakpokaiye, O. E. (2023). Relationship between academic motivation and academic performance of secondary school students in mathematics. Indonesian Journal of Learning Education and Counseling, 6(1), 10–16. https://doi.org/10.31960/ijolec.v6i1.2058

Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2020). Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation from a self-determination theory perspective: Definitions, theory, practices, and future directions. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 61, 101860. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2020.101860