Social Support Systems as correlates of Academic Achievement Motivation of Secondary School Students in Anambra State.

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship among social support systems and the academic achievement motivation of secondary school students in Anambra State. Three research questions and hypotheses were raised to guide the study. The study adopted a correlation design. The population of the study comprised all 12604 JSS 2 students in the 267 pubic secondary schools in Anambra State. The sample size consisted of 600 JSS 2 students from the 6 Education Zones in Anambra State, using Simple random sampling technique. Two instruments were used to collect data for the study; a researcher made instrument titled Students’ Perception of Social Support 
Systems Questionnaire, (SPSSSQ) and the adapted version of Entwistle (1963) Academic Achievement Motivation Inventory. Reliability of the instruments were established using Cronbach Alpha reliability technique. The reliability of the instruments yielded .84 and .89 for the SPISSSQ and AAMI, respectively. The instruments were validated by two experts in the Faculty of Education, Nnamdi 
Azikiwe University, Awka. SPSS was used to analyze the collected data. Pearson Product Moment Correlation was used to answer the research questions, while the Simple Linear Regression was used to test the hypotheses. The findings of the study 
revealed that parental support had a strong and positive relationship with academic achievement motivation. Additionally, the study revealed that there is a negative relationship between peer support and academic achievement motivation of secondary school students in Anambra. Based on the findings, it was recommended that there is need to encourage workshops and seminars for parents to foster a better understanding of their role in supporting their wards' academic achievement, among others.