Effects of Perceived Parental Encouragement, Achievement Motivation, and Emotional Intelligence on the Academic Achievement of Secondary and Preparatory School Students

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the relationship between perceived parental encouragement, achievement motivation and emotional intelligence with the academic achievement and to investigate to what extent these variables predicts the academic achievement of students. Participants of the study comprised of 361 in-school adolescents who were in secondary and preparatory schools in the four Wollega zonal towns in the year 2015/16. From each four Wollega zonal towns, two schools (one secondary and one preparatory) were randomly selected; hence, 4 secondary and 4 preparatory schools were included in the study. Perceived parental encouragement scale, academic motivation scale–high school version and emotional intelligence scale, each having 15 items, 28 i ems and 33 items, respectively were adapted and used. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, independent sample t-test, one-way ANOVA, and standard multiple linear regression were used in the analysis. The result revealed significant mean differences between male and female secondary and preparatory school students i.e. male students’ achievement was significantly higher than their female counterparts. Significant mean difference was also observed among students in their academic achievement in terms of their father’s/male guardian’s level of education. Students who came from fathers/male guardians whose level of education was 1st degree and above were found to be superior in their academic achievement as compared to others coming from fathers/male guardians whose level of education was senior secondary and below. However, in terms of mother’s/female guardian’s level of education and locality of residence the academic achievement of students did not show significant mean differences. The present study revealed that students’ academic achievement was positively and significantly correlated with both students’ achievement motivation and emotional intelligence. However, the relationship between students’ academic achievement and perceived parental encouragement scores was found Standard multiple linier regression to be negative and non-significant. analysis has shown that achievement motivation is the only predictor variab e that has significantly contributed to the variance explained in academic achievement, while the contribution of both perceived parental encouragement and emotional intelligence were found to be non-significant. Students with low achievement motivation and emotional intelligence seem to be impeded to perform well academically. It is therefore, recommended that counseling psyc ologists and school counselors should work on the emotional well-being and achievement motivation of students in the school.