Psychological Factors Influencing Students’ Achievement in Physics in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria

Abstract

This research investigated the impact of self-efficacy, achievement motivation, and emotional intelligence as determinants of students’ achievement in Physics among secondary school students in Oyo State. The study adopted the correlational research design of the correlation type. A simple random sampling technique was used to select ten secondary schools from Ogbomoso Land in Oyo State while one intact class of SSS II students was randomly selected from each school making a total of 300 students that participated in the study. Four instruments were used for data collection; Academic self-efficacy Scale (r=0.81); Students’ Academic achievement Motivation Scale (r=0.78); Emotional Intelligence Scale (r=0.75), and Physics Achievement Test (r=0.87). Data were analysed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient and Multiple Linear Regression at 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed that academic self-efficacy (r=.715); academic achievement motivation (r=.461) and emotional intelligence (r=.321) positively and significantly correlated with achievement in Physics, the joint contribution of the independent variables (student’s self-efficacy, achievement motivation, and emotional intelligence) was significant (F_{(3, 295)}=131.230; p<0.05), and accounted for 56.5% (Adj. R²=.565) variation in the prediction of academic achievement. It was recommended that curriculum planners should include student's self-efficacy, achievement motivation, and emotional intelligence among the various student-related variables that could improve students' achievement.