INFLUENCE OF MOTIVATION ON PUPILS ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE

1.1 Introduction

Motivation is the result of a pupil's perception of their psychological, physiological, and environmental conditions combined to make them pleased in their work (Long and Swortzel, 2007). Teaching was formerly considered an honourable, dignified vocation. For many instructors, this desirable career served as a kind of inspiration that provide services to the public in addition to being able to afford a lifetime career and permanent membership. Mastery of subject matter, command of a wide range of pedagogical abilities, and interpersonal and communication skills are all necessary for a competent teacher to have a good impact on the learning and development of their students. A good teacher is someone who is committed to teaching, always learning new things, and thoughtful about how they educate.

This chapter will address the background information that motivated this study, the challenges that prompted it, its aim, and its objectives as a preface to subsequent sections of the study. Additional factors include the study's significance, scope, limitations, research questions and hypotheses, and the definition of technical terms.

1.2 Background of Study

Motivation is a critical component in preserving quality human resources and life of any institute that values progress and innovations in work place especially in the academia. In academia, motivation is among the cornerstones for a healthier school. Motivation has been perceived differently by different researchers in the field of education. Motivation involves a number of psychological factors that start and maintain activities towards the achievements of personal goals and refers to reasons that underlie behaviour that is characterized by willingness and volition. Motivation in education can have several effects on how students learn and their behavior towards subjects matter (Leedy and Ormrod, 2001).

Motivation of teachers and students in the teaching and learning process can direct behavior towards particular goals, leads to increase effort and energy, enhances cognitive processing, increases imitation of and persistence in activities, determines what consequences are reinforcing and it can also lead to improved performance. Bradey (2001) is of the view that motivated teachers always look for better ways to do their teaching job and, as a result, they are more productive. Therefore, it means that motivated teachers are determined to give their best to achieve the maximum output (qualitative education).

Teachers are regarded as people who work hard enough to change the society in all they do. They have vision and a sense of direction. Teachers will do better in the discharge of their duty if they are satisfied with their job and the condition they do their job, this will increase their productivity. Teachers’ need to be resourceful and inventive in order to develop the commitment towards any given tasks and to enhance the students’ academic achievement.

Education is widely recognized as one major indicator of development in any country the world over. One of the basic purposes of educations is to produce trained human resource, which can overcome development impediments of any given country. To achieve this, there should be a satisfied and motivated work force in the sector. Employees with high level of motivation obligate their time, bring innovations, dynamism and efforts to work which consequence lead to high productivity (Scott, 2004). The quality of the teachers, their pledge, fulfilment and enthusiasm are the element issues for the students to profit from the educational system. Teachers act as replicas, since they are the pillars of the humanity.

Jyoti and Sharma (2009) opined that teachers support the students, not only to raise, but also to be the potential leaders of the succeeding generation, and to shoulder the obligation of enchanting their country ahead. Fulfilment with the teaching constituent has imperative significances. It indicates that the teachers are pleased, devoted and dedicated, and it also benefits them to convey their best potentials to their schools, so that students, parents, and the society may benefit from their services (Ofoegbu, 2004). Teachers, like other personnel have ethical obligation for a complete all round development of their state. They want to be skilfully effective, efficient and fulfilled on their job. As indicated by Jaiyeoba and Jibril (2008), fulfilled and inspired teachers are significant for any education system. The achievement or failure of the education system hinge on largely fulfilled teachers, fulfilled school administrators and managers. Teachers, precisely, spend expanse of time with their students in class, and hence they have a substantial impression on student attainment (Correnti, Miller & Rowan, 2002; Jyoti & Sharma, 2009).

To Kousteliou (2001), motivation is an utmost interesting field for many researchers to study labour approach in workers. Due to better presentation revealed by fulfilled workers, it is the top significance of all organizations to achieve the desired goals by growing their fulfilment. Accordingly, Armstrong (2006) sees motivations as the attitudes, feelings and moods people have about their jobs. For Armstrong, positive or favourable approach and feelings about the work and the work situation indicate motivation, and the inverse, mentioning to negative or unfavourable attitudes towards the work indicate job displeasure.

Therefore, in Nigeria where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the Influence of Motivation on Pupils Academic Performance.

1.3 Statement of Problems

Investigation revealed that the ineffectiveness of teachers has really been matters of general concern in our society as the school system have been adversely affected. This is chiefly attributed to lack of motivation and incentive to teachers. It therefore contributes immensely as a serious setback in the academic performance of students in secondary school. Teachers seem to experience irregular payment of salaries and allowances which hinder their dedication to duties. Poor salaries also affect their performance in the classroom as their promotions are not implemented which reduces their morale in teaching.

Pupils in the school setting need to be motivated if they would achieve high academic performance. Teachers, who are in the habit of motivating their students get the benefits of it because those students motivated in terms of rewards such as praises and using other patterns of motivation, out-perform other children who are not motivated by their teachers. Children who are not motivated tend to perform very low in their academic pursuits.

For instance, children who are not given pocket money, who are not provided with educational materials such as textbooks, school fees are not paid as at when do, will no doubt, perform below expectation by parents and teachers. Also, students who are not given the needed classroom instructions by their teachers and who are not rewarded whenever they do the right things in the school will not have the interest, the desire to carry out the same performance or task again. This is because a child carries out or repeats the same act or task again and again when he/ she is motivated or rewarded. The child refuses to repeat itself he / she is not motivated or punished.

The environment under which teachers teach or work is not conducive hence reducing their interest in their job as well as their output in teaching. It is this situation that has prompted the researcher to conduct a study to establish the Influence of teachers’ motivation on students’ academic performance in in Bassa Local Government Area of Kogi State private schools.

1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study

The aim of the study is to investigate the Influence of Motivation on Pupils Academic Performance using Some selected Private School in Bassa Local Government Area of Kogi State as a case study. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows:

1. To ascertain whether there is a significant difference in the academic performance of pupils who are motivated and those who are not;
2. To determine whether motivation has a significant influence on academic performance of pupils in schools;
3. To determine whether there is a significant influence of motivation on the social adjustment of pupils in schools; and
4. To find out whether there is a significant gender difference in academic performance of pupils due to motivation.

1.5 Research Questions

The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:

• Do students who are motivated have better school adjustment than those who are not?
• Is there any significant gender difference in the performance of pupils who are motivated?
• Will there be any significant influence of motivation on academic achievement of pupils in schools?
• Will there be any significant difference between the academic performance of pupils who are motivated and those who are not?
• Will there be any significant difference in the social adjustment of pupils who are motivated in schools and those who are not?

1.6 Research Hypothesis

In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.

Hypothesis One

• H0: There is no significant influence of motivation on the academic achievement of pupils in the school.
• H1: There is a significant influence of motivation on the academic achievement of pupils in the school.

Hypothesis Two

• H0: There is no significant difference between the academic performance of students who are motivated and those who are not.
• H1: There is a significant difference between the academic performance of students who are motivated and those who are not.

Hypothesis Three

• H0: There is no significant gender difference in the performance of students who are motivated
• H1: There is a significant gender difference in the performance of students who are motivated

Hypothesis Four

• H0: There is no significant difference between the social adjustments of students who are motivated.
• H1: There is significant difference between the social adjustments of students who are motivated.

1.7 Significance of Study

The relevance of the study will help in finding possible ways in which motivation can influence productivity or performance in teaching and learning process and also improve learning on the part of students. It is important for the researcher to put into consideration, the significance of teachers' motivation and academic performance of students. However, this research will be significant in the following ways:

1. Teachers will benefit from this study in that, they will know better off the impact of motivation on the academic achievement of students, with the findings and recommendations of this study, teachers would have better insight into the importance of motivating adolescents in school, so as to achieve greater academic performance.
2. Students would be the most beneficiaries of this study because they would learn a lot from the recommendations of this study and its outcomes. They would be exposed to the concept of motivation and achievement in school. This study will also motivate them to study hard so as to increase their performance rates at school.
3. Parents would find this study of great benefit because it will enable them to have positive perception of motivation and academic achievement of their children and wards. The recommendations of this study will no doubt help parents to motivate their children and wards the more so that they would be high academic achievers in the schools.
4. Guidance and Counsellors would also see this study as beneficial and good because the recommendations will assist them to counsel people, especially, the students who are having low academic achievement due to poor or non-motivation by either their teachers or their parents.
5. The society will also find this study a great reference point because it will also help them to know better the importance of motivation on the performance of adolescents in the school setting.

Finally, the findings of this research will be of immense benefit to other researchers who intend to know more on this study and can also be used by non-researchers to build more on their research work. This study contributes to knowledge and could serve as a guide for other study.

1.8 Scope of Study

The scope of the research is focused on the Influence of Motivation on Pupils Academic Performance. The study will cover some selected private school in Bassa Local Government Area of Kogi State.

1.9 Limitations of the Study

During the course of this study, there were some problems encountered which stood as limitations to the research work. Some of the limitations include:

1. Time Constraint:The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
2. Research Material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
3. Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).

1.10 Definition of Terms

Teacher: A person whose job is teaching, impact knowledge in an individual.

Motivate: A reason why somebody does something or behaves in a particular way.