Self-motivation as a Predictor of Secondary School Students’ Academic Success in Biology: A Study of Secondary School Students in Anambra State

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to ascertain if self-motivation is a predictor of secondary school 
students’ academic achievement in Biology in Anambra State. One research question gave 
direction to the study while one hypothesis was tested at the 0.05 level of significance. A 
correlational research design was employed for the study. The population of this study was made 
up of 20, 138 biology senior secondary SS2 students in the 266 public secondary schools in 
Anambra State. The sample for the study comprised 840 SS 2 students for the 2024/2025 academic 
session drawn through a multi-stage sampling procedure. Face-validated Self-Motivation 
Questionnaire (SMQ) was used to collect data. The data collected were analyzed using multiple 
regression. The findings of the study revealed that self-motivation positively and insignificantly 
predicted secondary school students’ academic achievement in biology. Based on the findings of 
the study, it was recommended that Biology teachers should encourage students to be self
motivated to improve their academic achievement in Biology.