PSYCHOLOGICAL VARIABLES AND STUDENTS ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE IN SOCIAL STUDIES IN UYO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Background to the study

A person's entire existence is frequently determined by the quantity of knowledge he or she accumulates and how much of that knowledge is applied to the advancement of the individual, the nation, and the entire globe. This provides the justification for the requirement for education. Knowledge is the fundamental thing that one gains from school. One learns about a variety of subjects, from political science to literature to mathematics. The worldly information we acquire via school has a significant impact on our future and enables us to comprehend events in a way that is much more coherent. While student academic achievement serves as a gauge of educational accomplishment.

Studies in educational psychology place a strong emphasis on the contribution of psychological factors to knowledge acquisition processes as well as academic achievement and performance (Kyndt, Coertjens, van Daal, Donche, Gijbels, & Van Petegem 2015). Three psychological factors—perceptions of one's own efficacy, motivation to study, and learning strategies—seem to be key for student learning and academic achievement. Self-efficacy perception is defined as a person's conviction in their own ability to plan and carry out actions to attain specific goals (Bandura, 2017), and it plays a crucial role in learning as well as how people create and live their lives (Bandura, 2017). From the perspective of human agency, people have control over the effects of their acts, according to the Social Cognitive Theory (Schunk and Dibenedetto, 2015). Self-efficacy beliefs determine how committed students are to reaching their academic goals in the educational context, which affects their final academic success (Long and cumming, 2013).

Self-efficacy is a definite predictor of motivation and learning, according to Zimmerman (2000). Numerous research examining students' self-efficacy in secondary schools show its impact on their efforts, perseverance in carrying out an activity, learning new abilities, and ultimately, the academic achievements attained (Pajares, 2016). When analyzing the relationship between secondary school students' academic performance and self-efficacy, Komarraju and Nadler (2013) emphasize the crucial role of the latter as a variable that promotes the use of learning strategies and other essential resources for successful academic performance. Recent studies that examined the relationship between self-efficacy beliefs and learning strategies (Martins & Santos, 2018; Santos, Ferraz, & Inácio, 2019) or academic satisfaction (Santos, Ferraz, & Inácio, 2019) found positive correlations between these variables and emphasized the significance of developing new studies and proposals for intervention based on self-efficacy given its high potential to enhance adaptation processes and the academic success of students.

In addition to being closely tied to self-efficacy, motivation is an essential factor in understanding human behavior. It can be characterized as internal mechanisms that motivate and direct action (Seli & Dembo, 2012), or, put another way, as the readiness to exert physical or mental effort in pursuit of an objective or result (Meece & Pintrich, 2012). Theorists in this area, most notably those who created the Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 2000), see it as a continuum with demotivation, extrinsic motivation, and its various forms of regulation (from the most external to integrated regulation) at one end and intrinsic motivation at the other. Extrinsic motivation, in its most extreme form, is typically defined as behavior driven by the desire to avoid punishment and the pursuit of reward or recognition, whereas intrinsic motivation is defined as behavior driven by choice, interest, or pleasure (Sogunro, 2015; Bzuneck & Boruchovitch, 2019; Ryan & Deci, 2020). People can behave out of value for an activity or out of personal interest, but they can also act out of coercion or fear, for example. Motivation comes in many different kinds.

In this context, the term "academic motivation" refers to a student's propensity to pursue educational endeavors that are both personally meaningful and beneficial (Zeynali, Pishghadam & Hosseini Fatemi, 2019). Thus, the level of student involvement in the learning process is correlated with motivation. Studies in this area show that students achieve more academically when they are motivated by intrinsic or autonomous factors, i.e., when they learn how to complete tasks because they truly want to learn them or when they understand how crucial the task is to their own learning (Kyndt, Coertjens, van Daal, Donche, Gijbels, & Van Petegem 2015). Learning strategies, which are the methods, procedures, or actions used by students to complete a task or attain learning goals, are a third psychological factor that is crucial for academic achievement (Oliveira & Caliatto, 2018; Weinstein & Acee, 2018). Despite the various taxonomies found in the research, according to Boruchovitch & Santos (2006), learning techniques can be divided into two main categories: cognitive and metacognitive (Seli & Dembo, 2012). Metacognitive strategies involve the planning, monitoring, and control of cognitive, motivational, affective, and behavioral factors involved in the learning process. Cognitive strategies are related to the organization, treatment, and storage of information (Weinstein, Acee & Jung, 2011; Boruchovitch & Santos, 2015; Weinstein & Acee, 2018). The deliberate application of learning strategies encourages introspection and self-evaluation as well as variety in study techniques, leading to enhanced academic performance (Weinstein & Acee, 2018). According to studies, the application of learning techniques is associated with academic performance (Wang, Kim, Bong, & Ahn  2013). Additionally, there is a moderate to high association between learning techniques, self-efficacy, and motivation (Martins & Santos, 2018). It implies a relationship between these three factors and a potential mutual impact on university students' academic performance and learning. Also, according to the findings of certain studies, college students do not always have appropriate learning strategies, or they use them improperly, which shows that it is important for interventions to foster the development of such strategies (Lins, 2014).

​​​​​​​Statement of the problem

Students have a propensity to struggle with a variety of psychological issues if they do not possess the intellectual skills that are required of them in the classroom. There is growing worry over the number of students who are switching from rigorous academic pursuit to social networking. The ability to assume the necessary intelligence and acuity to be a scholar may not be available to students who do not possess stable and adaptable psychological dispositions. Students who lack a scholarly attitude are less committed to their studies and other school-related activities. This may be the cause of the high failure rate in courses like social studies on internal examination. Additionally, a lack of a scholarly attitude has a strong likelihood of preventing students from engaging in active academic activities, which exposes them to social vices. Taking into account the significance of this topic and the significance of the aforementioned variables for understanding academic performance in secondary schools. It is against this background that this study seeks to investigate the impact of self-efficacy beliefs, motivation to learn, and learning strategies on students' academic performance in social studies.

​​​​​​​Purpose of the study

The main purpose is to investigate the effect of psychological variables on students academic performance in social studies. Specifically, the study seeks to:

1. Determine the impact of self-efficacy beliefs in students academic performance in social studies.

2. Assess the role of motivation in enhancing students academic performance in social studies

3. Ascertain the impact of learning strategies on students academic performance in social studies.

​​​​​​​Research questions

The following research questions were raised for this study:

1. What is the impact of self-efficacy in students academic performance in social studies?

2. What is the role of motivation on students academic performance in social studies?

3. How does learning strategies impact on students academic performance in social studies?

​​​​​​​Hypotheses

For the purpose of this study, the following hypotheses were formulated:

H01: There is no significant relationship between self-efficacy and improved students academic performance in social studies.

H02: There is no significant relationship between motivation and students academic performance in social studies

H01: There is no significant relationship between learning strategies and improved students academic performance in social studies.

​​​​​​​Significance of the study

The relevance of this study to students is illustrated by the fact that it sheds light on the elements wholly or partially accountable for their academic success in social studies. This study would be helpful to social studies teachers as well because it clarifies the psychological factors affecting students' success in social studies. As a result of this research, educational authorities may be able to better implement policies that direct the influence of psychological characteristics in the proper directions, which would be a win-win for everyone involved.

​​​​​​​Delimitation of the study

First, the investigation was delimited to the metropolitan area of Uyo. The findings may or may not be applicable to other geographical areas. Second, the study was restricted to junior secondary school pupils as the study's target population. Thirdly, the scope of the study is confined to employing a convenience sample to select secondary schools and a simple random sample to select participants. Finally, the study population was restricted to 1,217 individuals. A population sample of 304 students from the specified secondary school were enrolled.

​​​​​​​Limitations of the study

Limitations refers to possible flaws that are beyond the researcher's control. Limits are intrinsic restrictions resulting from the research design and technique. These components turn the investigation into a rigorous scientific examination. Two limitations were noted by the researcher during the course of this study. First, this study was limited to the students who took part to fill out a copy of the questionnaire, thereby limiting the amount of data collected. The way that data was gathered is the second restriction.

​​​​​​​Assumptions of the study

This study assumes that there is a relationship between psychological variables and students academic performance. Also, the researcher assumes that the participants understands the content of the questionnaire and the responses given are true.