Motivation, academic achievement and dropout intention among secondary school students in Butaleja District

Abstract

The study aimed at examining the relationship between motivation, academic achievement and dropout intention among secondary school students in Butaleja district. The Specific Objectives included; to examining the relationship between motivation and academic achievement, to examine the relationship between motivation and academic achievement, to examine the relationship between academic achievement and dropout intention and to examine whether academic achievement mediates the relationship between motivation and dropout intention. The study used a correlation survey design and methods with a designed questionnaire to measure a given population’s characteristics through the utilization of statistical methods. Quantitative approaches such as probability sampling were used in data collection and data was analysed using descriptive and relational statistics with Pearson Product Correlation Co efficient and Regression analysis . The study employed simple random sampling to select the samples. The study used closed ended questionnaires to collect data from participants. The study findings revealed that for this category of participants, motivation and academic achievement, motivation and dropout intention and academic achievement and motivation are all also significantly related. The other finding of the study was that academic achievement does not significantly mediate the relationship between motivation and academic achievement. Based on these findings, this study recommends that school administrators and teachers should be sensitized about the value of student motivation because of its implications on drop out intention and academic achievement.