The relationship between motivational factors and school achievement among learners in the Further Education and Training Phase.

Abstract
This study focused in investigating student’s poor academic performance with emphasis on the relationship between motivational factors and scholastic achievement amongst students across the Further Education and Training phase. Using rural-based schools as a case study that underperformed in 2014, this study presented the results from a survey and that was conducted to Grade 10 to 12 students using Motivation and Engagement Scale-High School (MES-H). The findings suggested that both internal and external factors contributed to student’s academic performance. The results showed that internal factors like student self-confidence, planning, hard work were some of the dominant internal factors that promoted student engagement high academic performance while anxiety, uncertain control and self-sabotage were major indicators of poor academic performance and disengagement. The study found that external factors like parental involvement, collaborative learning and good life were highly illuminated as positive external contributors to student’s high academic performance. This study argued that both the internal and external factors played a vital role towards enhancing and developing student’s high academic performance standards. This study contributed to the body of knowledge in the student academic performance arguing that parents and teachers have an equal and dual responsibility towards student success. For the future research, the researcher propose that the investigation should be extended to the majority of students for the better generalization of the findings based on the relationship between motivational factors and school success. Further research that includes educators, students and parents in the education system could be ideal. The research that will focus on parents, teachers and students should be undertaken to further contribute to the research agenda that seeks to understand student motivation and academic success. This type of research will extend the understanding of motivational factors and student success from an extended view beyond the classroom and school setting. The research should be conducted in both urban and rural areas. The study gives some information relating to the issue of students affected by their environment. Further investigation can be done on students from, different environments (township, suburbs, rural etc.)
Description
A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Masters in Educational Psychology in the Department of Educational Psychology & Special Needs Education at the University Of Zululand, 2017
Keywords
academic performance --students --motivation
Citation
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