Effect of students’ age on academic motivation and academic performance among high school students in Kenya

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of students’ age on academic motivation and academic performance among secondary school students attending day schools within Nakuru municipality. The objectives specific to this study were to investigate how students’ age affected academic motivation and academic performance. The study adapted the ex-post facto research design. The target population comprised all Form two and Form four students in the sixteen secondary schools in Nakuru municipality from which seven day schools were sampled using the stratified random sampling technique. The sample was made up of 489 students. Data was collected using a students’ questionnaire and the academic performance scores were obtained from the school records of the previous year. The major statistical methods used in this study were: Pearson’s r, and analysis of variance (ANOVA). Descriptive statistics, means, frequencies, percentages and standard deviations were used for data presentation and to explain the variables in this study. The findings of this study indicated that there was a positive relationship between academic motivation and academic performance. It was also established that students’ age had a significant effect on the student’s academic performance and students’ age had no significant effect on the academic motivation. These findings will assist teachers, parents, administrators and other stake holders to engage in interventions in school and at home, that can improve the quality of learning and hence boost the student’s academic performance.