Author: Dr. Md Shawkat Ali
DOI Link: https://doi.org/10.70798/Bijmrd/04080018
Abstract: Academic motivation is a critical psychological construct that directs students’ energy toward learning goals, sustains effort, and shapes the quality of cognitive engagement. This study investigated the academic motivation of Class VIII secondary school students in Lalgola Block of Murshidabad district, West Bengal. A stratified random sample of 200 students (100 boys and 100 girls; 100 rural and 100 urban) was selected from five government and government-aided schools. Academic motivation was measured using the Academic Motivation Questionnaire developed by Dr. D. Bhattacharya, while academic achievement was operationalised as aggregate marks in the last Annual Examination. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square goodness-of-fit, independent-samples t-tests, Pearson correlation and simple linear regression were employed. Results indicated that motivation scores were approximately normally distributed (χ² = 3.072, df = 6, p = 0.800). No statistically significant gender (t = 1.655, p > 0.05) or locale (t = 1.003, p > 0.05) differences were found. A moderate positive correlation existed between academic motivation and achievement (r = 0.3245, p < 0.01). The regression equation Y = 0.444X + 436.358 was derived for predictive purposes. Findings reaffirm the importance of fostering academic motivation and suggest that gender and rural–urban location are not major determinants of motivation in this localised context. Implications for classroom practice and directions for future research are discussed.
Keywords: Academic Motivation; Secondary School Students; Gender Differences; Rural–Urban Locale; Academic Achievement; Murshidabad; West Bengal.
Page No: 131-137