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Open Access
Article
Publication date: 29 January 2024

Odiri E. Onoshakpokaiye

The study’s objective was to ascertain the connection between secondary school students' test anxiety, academic self-concept, motivation and academic performance in mathematics…

Abstract

Purpose

The study’s objective was to ascertain the connection between secondary school students' test anxiety, academic self-concept, motivation and academic performance in mathematics. The difference between the academic performances of male and female secondary school students who exhibit high and low test anxiety, academic self-concept and motivation levels in mathematics.

Design/methodology/approach

Four hypotheses and four research questions were adopted. The design is a correlation. 42,299 mathematics students in senior school year two (SS2) made up the research population. A sample of 1,650 students was selected through a multi-stage sampling procedure. The main instruments used were the Mathematics Test Anxiety Questionnaire (MTAQ), Academic Self-Concept Questionnaire (ASQ) and Academic Motivation Questionnaire (AMQ) and students’ math scores. These instruments were validated by three experts and the reliability coefficients of 0.69, 0.68 and 0.68 were obtained for MTAQ, ASQ and AMQ, respectively, using Cronbach alpha. Pearson product moment correlation was used to analyze the data.

Findings

The study’s results showed a correlation between secondary school students' academic performance in mathematics and test anxiety, academic self-concept and motivation. There was a significant difference between secondary school male and female students' test anxiety; there was a significant difference between secondary school male and female students' self-concept and academic performance in mathematics, and there was a significant difference between secondary school male and female students' motivation and academic performance in mathematics.

Originality/value

The major contribution of this study is to investigate the connection between test anxiety, academic self-concept motivation and students’ mathematics performance. There is a difference between psychological variables, gender and mathematics performance.

Details

Arab Gulf Journal of Scientific Research, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1985-9899

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 June 2020

Muhammad Jawad Malik, Mudaser Ahmad, Muhammad Rizwan Kamran, Komal Aliza and Muhammad Zubair Elahi

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationships between students’ use of social media, their academic performance and creativity in the digital era.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationships between students’ use of social media, their academic performance and creativity in the digital era.

Design/methodology/approach

This research used a survey strategy for collecting primary data required for this study from 334 students of undergraduate programs at Chinese universities who were sampled through a non-probability convenience approach.

Findings

The findings of the study reveal that students’ use of social media is positively associated with students’ academic performance and creativity. In addition, intrinsic motivation was found to be a mediating reason in the relationships between students’ use of social media and students’ academic performance and creativity.

Originality/value

This study explored an important role of intrinsic motivation as a mediator in the relationships between students’ use of social media and their positive outcomes. Studying the use of social media by students to their positive study outcomes is also practically important for students, educationalists and other policymakers.

Details

Interactive Technology and Smart Education, vol. 17 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-5659

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 September 2020

José Luis Ballesteros-Rodríguez, Petra De Saá-Pérez, Natalia García-Carbonell, Fernando Martín-Alcázar and Gonzalo Sánchez-Gardey

Although several previous studies were focused on examining the determinants of research productivity, the knowledge of the competences and motives that lead researchers to…

Abstract

Purpose

Although several previous studies were focused on examining the determinants of research productivity, the knowledge of the competences and motives that lead researchers to achieve relevant scientific performance remains unclear. This paper is aimed at contributing to this gap in the research by proposing a typology to understand academic researchers' traits and extending the traditional “more is better” approach, which assumes that higher levels of competence and motivation are always preferable.

Design/methodology/approach

Cluster analysis was applied to a sample of 471 Spanish academics to examine diverse combinations of human capital attributes – knowledge, skills, and abilities – and two sources of motivation – intrinsic and extrinsic.

Findings

Four researcher profiles were identified: (1) high vocational academics; (2) motivated academics; (3) self-starter academics and (4) reactive academics. Based on these preliminary findings, we present conclusions about the functioning and productivity of academic researchers.

Originality/value

This paper contributes a novel typology of researchers to the extant literature based on the variables of academic human capital and motivation. The findings indicate that a required and specific combination of attributes better fits the reality of research activities.

Details

Journal of Intellectual Capital, vol. 23 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1469-1930

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 24 May 2022

Rocío Giselle Fernández Da Lama and María Elena Brenlla

The present research was based on an online questionnaire. A total of 256 undergraduate psychology students aged 18–44 (M = 23.61; SD = 0.57) from the Pontifical Catholic…

Abstract

Purpose

The present research was based on an online questionnaire. A total of 256 undergraduate psychology students aged 18–44 (M = 23.61; SD = 0.57) from the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina took part in the study (137 women; 53.3%). A sociodemographic and academic survey and the locally adapted versions of the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (ZTPI), the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) and the Tuckman Procrastination Scale were used in this study. Participants were contacted by an email advertisement in which the main purpose of the study was explained, and the instruments remained open from September to November of 2021. Descriptive analyses – means, standard deviations and frequencies – were calculated using IBM SPSS v.25, and mediation and moderation analyses were conducted on PROCESS macro.

Design/methodology/approach

Academic achievement has always been a concern in the high undergraduate's community. Numerous studies have addressed psychological aspects of students' academic life; however, a past-positive (PP) time perspective, a warm and sentimental view of past events that took place in someone's life, has not been profoundly contemplated. The fact that students might organize their activities, employ different strategies to fulfill their tasks and motivate themselves to pursue their academic goals based primarily on their past experiences calls the attention on conducting research on this time perspective dimension and its relationship with procrastination and academic motivation. It was hypothesized that the PP time perspective would positively predict academic achievement via the mediation of academic motivation in a way that the potentiate effect of PP time perspective on academic achievement would be increased in highly motivated students, but this effect would be reduced in less motivated students. Also, it was hypothesized that the relationship between motivation and academic achievement would be negatively moderated by procrastination such that academic achievement would increase with academic motivation; however, that increase would be attenuated by procrastination.

Findings

Academic achievement was positively associated with PP time perspective (r = 0.39; p < 0.01) and academic motivation (0.36; p < 0.01) and negatively associated with procrastination (r = −0.15; p < 0.05). Results showed that academic motivation mediated the relationship between PP time perspective and academic achievement (ß = 1.37; R2 = 0.21; p < 0.001). Additionally, procrastination moderated the relationship between academic motivation and academic achievement but only at the low (ß = 0.76; p < 0.001) and medium (ß = 0.44; p < 0.001) levels of procrastination, while at high levels of procrastination, that relationship was not statistically significant (ß = 0.11; p > 0.05).

Originality/value

This is the first study that examined the mediated role of academic motivation in the relationship between PP time perspective and academic achievement and that included the moderating role of procrastination.

Details

Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, vol. 15 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-7003

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 6 May 2014

Gulnara Moldasheva and Monowar Mahmood

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships between personality traits, learning strategies and academic performance among undergraduate students in the post-Soviet…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationships between personality traits, learning strategies and academic performance among undergraduate students in the post-Soviet transition country of Kazakhstan.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors used a quantitative survey method to assess individual personality, learning strategies and academic motivations. Statistical software (SPSS) was used to conduct correlations, linear regressions and multiple regressions as a means of testing the hypotheses and making inferences.

Findings

The results suggest that students with different personality characteristics have different motivations and priorities in their pursuit of university degrees. However, some of these differences seem to be related to their fields of academic study and biographical backgrounds.

Practical implications

The research emphasises the importance of managing individuals by focusing on their individual differences in learning strategies, rather than by relying on the personality stereotypes that existing literature suggests are prevalent.

Originality/value

The findings will help educators take appropriate measures in selecting learning strategies that suit the different personality types of students, and will encourage and assist them in improving their academic performance. As this type of research has never been carried out in post-Soviet CIS countries, dissemination of the study's findings will immensely benefit students and educators in the region.

Details

Education + Training, vol. 56 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0040-0912

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 13 May 2022

Xiangju Meng and Zhenfang Hu

This paper aims to use a quantitative approach to explore the role of online learning behavior in students’ academic performance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the…

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to use a quantitative approach to explore the role of online learning behavior in students’ academic performance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the authors probe its mediating effect in the relationship between student motivation (extrinsic and intrinsic) and academic performance in a blended learning context.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey data were collected from 148 students taking an organizational behavior course at one Chinese university. The data were paired and analyzed through regression analysis.

Findings

The results show that students should actively engage in online learning behavior to maximize the effects of blended learning. Extrinsic motivation was found to positively influence academic performance both directly and indirectly through online learning behavior, while intrinsic motivation affected academic performance only indirectly.

Originality/value

Through paired data on extrinsic and intrinsic motivation, online learning behavior and academic performance, this study provides a more nuanced understanding of how online learning behavior affects the focal relationship, and it advances research on the mechanisms underlying the focal relationship. Practitioners should enhance students’ online learning behavior to boost blended learning effects during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Details

Quality Assurance in Education, vol. 31 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0968-4883

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 May 2024

Muhammad Safuan Abdul Latip, Siti Nur Nadhirah Abdul Latip, Masliana Tamrin and Faizatul Akmal Rahim

The study aims to explore factors that influence students’ academic performance in the context of physical ergonomics and assess the mediating effect of motivation between…

Abstract

Purpose

The study aims to explore factors that influence students’ academic performance in the context of physical ergonomics and assess the mediating effect of motivation between lighting, noise, temperature, chair design and students’ performance from the student’s perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

The research was categorised as a correlational study and employed non-contrived and cross-sectional methods to achieve its objectives. The target population was university students aged 18 years old and above enrolled in Malaysia’s higher education institutions. Due to the inaccessibility of the sample frame, convenience sampling, a type of non-probability sampling, was utilised. Data collection was conducted through an online survey primarily distributed among student groups.

Findings

The study’s findings reveal that only two exogenous variables, lighting and noise, directly influence students' performance. Additionally, motivation is a potent and significant factor in shaping students' performance. Motivation is also identified as a mediator in the complex relationship between lighting, noise, temperature and student performance. Surprisingly, although temperature does not directly influence student performance, it indirectly influences performance through motivation.

Originality/value

This study is an original exploration into the intricate factors shaping students' academic performance within the domain of physical ergonomics from a student perspective. The research uniquely investigates the mediating impact of motivation on the relationships between lighting, noise, temperature, seating arrangements and academic outcomes. The findings will contribute novel insights to the existing body of knowledge, offering a distinct perspective on the complex dynamics that influence student learning experiences and performance in educational settings.

Details

Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-7003

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 March 2024

Musallam S. Hawas Al-Aamri, Mohammad Soliman and Logendra Stanley Ponniah

This study empirically examines the impact of motivation, transformational leadership and involvement in strategic planning (SP) on academic staff performance at higher education…

Abstract

Purpose

This study empirically examines the impact of motivation, transformational leadership and involvement in strategic planning (SP) on academic staff performance at higher education institutions (HEIs). It also examines how academics' involvement in SP mediates the associations between motivation, transformational leadership and performance.

Design/methodology/approach

This article conducted a quantitative approach based on a self-administered survey. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was applied to analyze the data gathered from 192 faculty members at governmental HEIs in Oman.

Findings

The results indicated that academic staff motivation has a significant and positive impact on their involvement in SP and performance in HEIs. It is also revealed that employee involvement in SP activities is significantly affected by transformational leadership, while the latter does not affect academic staff performance. There is also a significant association between academic staff involvement in SP and their performance. Moreover, the relationships between motivation, transformational leadership and performance are fully mediated by academic staff involvement in SP at HEIs.

Originality/value

The current empirical work is one of the few endeavors to develop an integrated structural model to investigate how faculty members' performance could be affected by motivation, transformational leadership and involvement in SP. Furthermore, it is considered one of the first attempts to explore the intervening role of academic staff involvement in the SP process in the connections between motivation, transformational leadership and performance within the HEI realm.

Details

Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-7003

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 May 2020

Francesco Galati, Barbara Bigliardi, Renato Passaro and Ivana Quinto

According to the paradigm of the Triple Helix, universities are moving from their traditional roles of research, teaching and knowledge dissemination to an entrepreneurial role…

Abstract

Purpose

According to the paradigm of the Triple Helix, universities are moving from their traditional roles of research, teaching and knowledge dissemination to an entrepreneurial role. Specifically, they contribute to innovation and competitiveness by creating academic spin-offs (ASOs). In such a context, the diffusion of digital technologies is impacting both on the development of new forms of academic entrepreneurship and on the motivations of academics in launching ASOs. Grounded on a recent reconceptualization developed on identity theory, this study investigates the motivations that lead an academic to establish a spin-off and if, how and why these motivations vary over time.

Design/methodology/approach

An extensive online survey was performed in order to obtain a final database of 151 Italian ASOs. Different statistical techniques were used, such as Cluster analysis and ANOVA, to identify different ASO profiles and to understand how and why these profiles change over time.

Findings

The results suggest that motivations change over time: while financial aspects become less important, academics give more importance to other issues. Time, experience and financial gain influence the evolution of academic entrepreneurs' motivations over time.

Practical implications

Insights derived from the study could help policy-makers and administrators in better understanding this phenomenon and the possible evolution of such academic motivations in the context of digitalization, and enable them to act accordingly to foster academic entrepreneurship.

Originality/value

The main contributions of the present study are the addition of empirical knowledge to the scant and anecdotal literature existing to date and the inclusion of cognitive and psychological theoretical perspectives in the academic entrepreneurship debate. Moreover, it is believed that no other study has investigated the above topics in the Italian context.

Details

International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behavior & Research, vol. 26 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1355-2554

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 March 2014

Ali Al-Aufi and Khulood Ahmed Al-Kalbani

This study aims to identify and assess the status and level of motivation of employees working in the Omani academic libraries at Muscat Governorate according to Maslow's…

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Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to identify and assess the status and level of motivation of employees working in the Omani academic libraries at Muscat Governorate according to Maslow's hierarchy of needs.

Design/methodology/approach

A quantitative approach containing a questionnaire survey was used for collecting data from 111 librarians and library employees in 29 identified academic libraries.

Findings

Findings pointed out that the motivation level was modest with varied attitudes for individual motivational needs. The need for security was indicated as the least motivating with an average mean score below agreement. Their lower-order motivational needs are apparently satisfied except for security needs which indicated a level below satisfaction. On the other hand, the upper-level needs of self-esteem were not adequately satisfied.

Research limitations/implications

Motivation has the potential to satisfy the five essential needs that Maslow built up in hierarchy. However, library managers are also responsible to determine every individual behavior of employees and accordingly adopt the proper motivational strategy. The study recommends developing and implementing local standards for a motivational system appropriate for all academic libraries in Oman, taking into consideration the respondents' needs for security. The study also recommends conducting further studies on work motivation in other library settings such as learning resource centers and public libraries.

Originality/value

The study helps assess the status of motivation in the academic libraries of a developing country. It also helps describe and explain motivation from the perspectives of librarians and other employees. The literature in the region does not indicate similar studies that addressed the issue of motivation in the academic libraries or other library settings. This study, however, is the first to deal with motivation in academic libraries in Oman.

Details

Library Management, vol. 35 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-5124

Keywords

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