Cog-Motivational Factors as Correlates of Academic Learned Helplessness Among Secondary School Students in Rivers State

Abstract

The study investigated cog-motivational (cognitive & motivational) as correlates of academic learned helplessness among secondary school students in Rivers state. Cog-motivational factors of (self-efficacy, attribution and achievement motivation), were the independent variables while academic learned helplessness was the dependent variable. Four research questions and four null hypotheses guided the study. A sample of 500 SS2 academic learned helplessness students was drawn from a population of 32,126 SS2 students in public secondary schools in Rivers State, using multi-stage sampling procedure. Two instruments were used for the study: Cog-motivational Factors Scale (CFS) and Academic Learned Helplessness Scale (ALHS). Data collected were analyzed using simple and multiple regression statistics. Results of the study indicated that cog-motivational factors of (self-efficacy, attribution and achievement motivation) jointly, had a low positive relationship with academic learned helplessness which was significant at 0.05 levels of significance. Independently, self-efficacy had a negative relationship with academic learned helplessness, while attribution and achievement motivation had positive relationships with academic learned helplessness. Statistical testing revealed that independently, attribution had a significant relationship with academic learned helplessness while self-efficacy and achievement motivation had no significant relationship with academic learned helplessness. Based on the findings appropriate recommendations were made among which is that guidance counsellors should be employed in all public secondary schools in Rivers State to assist students with the problem of academic learned helplessness to improve academic performance

Keywords: Self-efficacy, Attributon, Achievement motivation and Academic Learned Helplessness

DOI: 10.7176/RHSS/9-8-01

Publication date: April 30^th 2019