Keywords
self-efficacy
learning outcomes
secondary school students
Bayelsa State.
Article Number
028Abstract
This study examined the predictive influence of academic motivation and self-efficacy on learning outcomes among secondary school students in Bayelsa State, Nigeria. A descriptive correlational research design was adopted, involving 600 Senior Secondary School II students selected through multi-stage stratified random sampling. Data were collected using adapted versions of the Academic Motivation Scale and the General Self-Efficacy Scale, alongside students’ terminal examination scores in English Language and Mathematics. Pearson correlation and multiple regression analyses were employed at the 0.05 level of significance. Results revealed significant positive relationships between academic motivation, self-efficacy, and learning outcomes. The regression model indicated that academic motivation and self-efficacy jointly accounted for 46.8% of the variance in students’ learning outcomes, with self-efficacy emerging as the strongest predictor. The findings underscore the importance of strengthening students’ efficacy beliefs alongside motivational strategies to enhance academic performance in secondary schools.References
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