Theories Of Academic Achievement

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Framework of the Study Many students have been analyzing achievement motivation since the early 20th century and the most of them had defined it in a similar way. The word motivation has been derived from the “motivate” which means that our mind direct our behaviour towards goals. Individuals motivated are the expression of his/her goals or needs (Kumar, Poornima, Abraham and Jayashee, 2003). Therefore achievement motivation can be understood as a process of influencing a person to follow the desired course of action.Theconcept itself can be simply explained as the amount of effort and energy that person will expand to achieve the certain goal. It is like an inner force that leads a person to accomplish personal goals and objectives (Linder …show more content…

The students’ perception of the worth of academic achievement is related to the fear of failure, parental, and peer group pressure for achievement. Nenty (1988) noted that achievement motivation is a society related factor and has the highest relationship with, and is the most valid prediction of students’ academic performance. Weiner and Potepan (1990) in their study assessed test anxiety, achievement orientation, and intellectual achievement responsibility among college students. Bichler and Snowman (1993) mentioned two limitations of the achievement and attribution theories. The success of every individual depends on many factors but the most important factor that brings the great amount of achievement is associated with human capital (Kovach, …show more content…

McClelland, (1985): Morgan (1986) and Lovells’ (1982) studies revealed that academic performance of students is a function of achievement motivation, with students high in achievement motivation out-performing those with low achievement motivation. Academic Performance: A Function of Achievement Motivation Among Education Students of Cross River University of Technology, Calabar 69 RHEA, vol.4, 63-83 However, Rosen (1991) reported no significant relationship between academic achievement motivation and subjects’ academic performance. On social achievement motivation and academic performance, several studies showed that the students’ social ranking positively correlates with the students’ academic performance,. (Elkins, 1958): Crow and Crow, 1993: Ezewu, (1978) in Ethothi (2002). Social position in the class is significantly correlated with academic achievement, implying that a student who is liked by his course-mates performs better than those not liked (Ezewu, 1978). Also, Anold, Cooper and Robertson (1995) observed that a person’s behaviour is influenced most fundamentally by social interactions which can determine his sense of identity and belonging, and this can equally affect his performance in life activities including academics. Also, studies by McCandles and Evans, (1978); Winterbotton, (1953); Dovanand Adelson, (1958) in Ethothi (2002) have found family factors as a