Effect of Self - Motivation On Academic Performance of Students of Woman University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Bagh

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Effect of Self -Motivation on Academic Performance of Students of Woman


University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Bagh

Article · April 2024


DOI: 10.47205/plhr.2024(8-I)33

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P-ISSN 2708-6453 Pakistan Languages and Humanities Review Jan-Mar 2024, Vol. 8, No. 1
O-ISSN 2708-6461 https://doi.org/10.47205/plhr.2024(8-I)33 [360-369]

RESEARCH PAPER
Effect of Self -Motivation on Academic Performance of Students of
Women University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Bagh
1Sadia Khan*, 2Darakhshan Siraj and 3Mehvish Mushtaq

1. Assistant Professor, Department of Education, Women University of Azad Jammu & Kashmir
Bagh, AJ&K, Pakistan
2. Lecturer, Department of Education, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan
3. M.Phil. Scholar, Department of Education, Women University of Azad Jammu & Kashmir Bagh,
AJ&K, Pakistan
*Corresponding Author khansadia527@gmail.com2
ABSTRACT
This study was conducted to examine the effects of self-motivation on academic
achievements of the students. The research population encompassed undergraduate
students enrolled in various social sciences departments at Women University of AJ&K
Bagh. Using a simple random sampling technique, a representative sample of 326 students
was selected for the study. To assess the level of self-motivation, respondents completed a
standardized questionnaire developed. Data was analyzed using correlation and
regression analysis. The results of the study revealed a significant effect of self-motivation
on academic performance of university students. These results contribute significantly to
the existing body of knowledge and carry implications for educational institutions. The
study emphasizes the importance of addressing and nurturing self-motivation to enhance
the academic performance of students. By shedding light on the interplay between self-
motivation and academic outcomes, this research adds to the scholarly discourse and
supports educational institutions in devising strategies to encourage students' self-
motivation and, consequently, their academic achievements.

KEYWORDS Academic Outcomes, Academic Performance, Self-Motivation, Self-Regulation


Introduction

Motivation plays a pivotal role in assessing a student's academic performance and


accomplishments. In the context of education, self-motivation refers to an inherent desire
and drive to excel in studies and attain academic success. It encompasses the skill to
establish goals, maintain focus, overcome setbacks, and possess a sense of ownership over
one's learning journey. Students who are self-motivated exhibit heightened enthusiasm,
energy, and commitment to their studies, leading to enhanced academic achievements
(Fan, 2017; Kruse & Coates 200; Wang, Jia, & Jin, 2020; Wentzel, 2016).

Numerous studies underscore the significance of self-motivation in educational


environments by investigating the correlation between self-motivation and academic
attainment. For example, Self-Determination Theory postulates that individuals possess
innate motivational tendencies that influence their actions and choices. According to SDT,
self-motivated individuals engage in learning activities with enthusiasm and persistence,
ultimately fostering improved cognitive functioning and focused academic
accomplishments (Deci & Ryan, 1985).

Furthermore, research has demonstrated that self-motivation significantly impacts


various facets of academic performance. Vallerand et al. (1992) found that students'
Pakistan Languages and Humanities Review (PLHR) Jan-Mar, 2024, Vol. 8, No. 1

creativity, effort, and achievements are notably predicted by their levels of self-motivation.
Self-driven students typically exhibit greater consistency and diligence in their academic
endeavors, resulting in higher grades, heightened academic confidence, and greater overall
satisfaction with their educational experiences. Self-motivated learners are more likely to
employ effective learning strategies and engage in self-directed learning behaviors. They
take ownership of the educational process, define learning objectives, and utilize strategies
such as goal-setting, time management, and self-assessment to remain focused and achieve
their goals (Jabba &Hussin, 2018; Zimmerman, 2002).

These self-regulatory skills contribute to the comprehension, retention, and


application of knowledge, thereby enhancing the acquired academic performance.
Conversely, students lacking self-motivation may encounter challenges in maintaining
focus, completing assignments, and progressing academically. Factors such as low self-
efficacy, external distractions, or disinterest in the subject can undermine their motivation,
leading to reduced effort, disengagement, and subpar academic performance (Chen et al.,
2020; Connell & Wellborn, 1995).

Motivation is the driving force behind an individual's commitment to fulfill


responsibilities, invest the necessary effort, and follow through with actions. Motivation
profoundly influences an individual's success and educational journey. It is reflected in
students' decisions regarding academic pursuits, the dedication of effort and time to each
task, and their perseverance in completing academic assignments. Moreover, motivation
equips individuals with the tools to navigate the challenges encountered during personal
growth and development (Haerens et al., 2019; Pajares & Schunk, 2001; Pintrich & Schunk,
2002).

Previous research consistently indicates a strong association between self-


motivation and academic performance. Although some researchers have explored the
impact of self-motivation on academic achievement in primary and secondary levels, there
remains a gap in understanding its effects at the university level. Consequently, this study
aims to address this gap by examining the influence of self-motivation on academic
performance specifically within the context of Bagh. Numerous researchers have delved
into the concept of self-motivation and its pivotal role in shaping the academic outcomes
of university students. After an extensive period of research, there arises a compelling
necessity to investigate targeted strategies for cultivating motivation, which can
subsequently enhance students' overall academic achievements. The need to discern which
facets of performance, such as attentiveness, engagement, grades, or involvement in
extracurricular activities, are most profoundly impacted by self-motivation becomes
imperative. Hence, the present research endeavor strives to bridge this gap within the
university settings of Kashmir by comprehensively investigating the intricate interplay
between self-motivation and various dimensions of academic performance.

Literature Review

According to Elliot & Thrash (2019) motivation is defined as an individual's


endeavor to fulfill his or her commitments, including making the necessary effort and
following through. Motivation plays a significant role in learning and is shown in students'
decisions on academic tasks, the amount of time and effort they devote to each task, and
their commitment to academic assignments. Additionally, motivation enables individuals
to successfully navigate obstacles they encounter during the educational process (Hu
&Adegbija, 2018).

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Pakistan Languages and Humanities Review (PLHR) Jan-Mar, 2024, Vol. 8, No. 1

Self-motivation is defined by Ryan and Deci (2000) as "the self-guideline of conduct


and cognizance in the help of individual purposes." They argued that rather than being
influenced by external rewards or disciplines, people are influenced by natural factors such
as independence, skill, and relatedness. The role of self-viability, which refers to one's
confidence in their ability to do tasks and achieve goals, is emphasized by Bandura's (1996)
social mental hypothesis. According to Bandura, self-viability is a crucial component of
self-motivation since it affects people's beliefs about their abilities and their willingness to
take action.

According to Locke and Latham (2002), self-motivation is the ability to generate and
sustain the desire, energy, and responsibility necessary to achieve one's goals. The ability
to take charge of one's own life, set goals, and achieve them via conviction, effort, and
adaptability is known as self-motivation.

When students are really interested in the subject and feel that it is essential, they
are likely to demonstrate higher levels of dedication and put up the necessary effort to
achieve academically.Natural surroundings have a big role in self-motivation in a neutral
context. According to research, students who create precise, challenging, and attainable
goals will typically outperform those who require clear targets (Locke & Latham, 1990).
Setting goals helps students maintain their composure, concentrate on tasks, and focus their
efforts on achieving academic success.

Stinebrickner and Stinebrickner (2014) discovered that students who attended


additional classes performed better academically than those who played hooky as often as
possible. Alharbi and Abduljabbar (2017) discovered that among female students in Saudi
Arabian Middle Eastern colleges, motivation strongly affects academic success. The
analysis found a strong relationship between characteristic motivation, which refers to
motivation motivated by personal gain and enjoyment, and academic success. Conversely,
it was shown that scholastic achievement had a negative link with extraneous motivation,
which is motivated by external rewards like grades or recognition.

In Pakistani women's institutions, Ali and Ahmed (2017) discovered that students'
motivation had a significant influence on how well they performed academically. The
analysis found that motivation, as opposed to insight or financial situation, was a preferred
determinant of academic execution. Ismail, Ain, and Jusoh (2019) discovered that the use
of gasification in learning increased students' motivation, which significantly influenced
their academic performance.

Schunk and Zimmerman (1997) found that self-motivated students often set higher
academic goals for themselves and were more tenacious in pursuing those goals.
Compared to those who required self-motivation, this diligence led to superior academic
achievement. In addition, Deci and Ryan (1985) found that students who were naturally
motivated or inspired by their own benefit and happiness with the subject would typically
have higher academic achievement compared to those who were extraneously persuaded
or motivated by external factors like grades or rewards. Self-motivation has also been
demonstrated to significantly influence other aspects of academic performance, such as
involvement and support in class, in addition to academic performance.

Mascret et al. (2015) found that self-persuaded students were more likely to attend
class regularly and participate actively in class discussions, which led to greater academic
achievement. In addition, self-motivation has also been considered a sign of academic
advancement in higher education. Additionally, self-motivated learners must take part in

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Pakistan Languages and Humanities Review (PLHR) Jan-Mar, 2024, Vol. 8, No. 1

academic tasks and have a feeling of responsibility for their own learning (Wentzel 2016;
Simpkins et al., 2015).

Research Hypotheses

Ho1: There is no significant relationship between self- motivation and academic


performance of students.

H02: There is no significant effect of self- Motivation on the academic


performance of students

Material and Methods

Study is quantitative and a causal-comparative research design has been chosen to


analyze the impact of self-motivation on the academic performance

Study Population and Sample

Students at Woman University Bagh AJ&K studying in departments like Education,


English, Economics, IR, and BBA, from 3rd, 5th, and 7th semesters were the population of
the study. There were total 636 students in respective departments. Simple random
technique was used to select the sample from the population. Detail of the sample is given
below in the table 1

Table 1
Population and selected sample for study
Sample Size 50% From Each
Department M.A B.S Total
Department
Education 47 234 281 140
English 24 119 143 72
Economics 24 61 85 42
International
16 66 82 41
Relations
BBA 62 62 31
Total 111 525 653 326
Research Instrument

Standardized Self-Motivation Questionnaire of David (2017) was adopted to assess


self-motivation levels, employing a five-point Likert scale. The questionnaire comprised 30
statements, each representing different indicators, as outlined below

Risk taking
 Setting goals
 Self-efficacy
 Self confidence
 Managing time and being organized

Reliability of the Instrument

Reliability is a statistical concept that deals with how consistent the results are when
you measure something repeatedly. In this study, 30 participants were selected from the
population for pilot testing. Results are presented in the table 2:

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Pakistan Languages and Humanities Review (PLHR) Jan-Mar, 2024, Vol. 8, No. 1

Table 2
Reliability Statistics
Cranach’s Alpha No. of Items
.73 30
Results shows that value of Cronbach’s alpha is .73 which is greater than .70 so the
instrument was considered reliable for further study.

Results and Discussion

To understand the relationship between two variables and how self-motivation


affects academic performance, researcher employed Pearson's Correlation and Regression
analysis:

Table 3
Descriptive statistics of the Study Variables
N Minimum Maximum Mean Std. Deviation
Self-Motivation 326 40.00 118.00 85.83 11.76
CGPA 326 2.00 4.00 2.99 .79
Table3 summarized the descriptive statistics for the CGPA and self-motivation by
providing the Minimum, Maximum, Mean and Standard Deviation for the constructs
under study. Similarly our main variable of interest is self-motivation the index for the
students CGPA attributes that we develop in the study takes the value ranging from a
(M=2.00 ) to the maximum of 4.00 with the standard deviation .79 the lower standard
deviation of the CGPA shows that our data do not suffer from the problem of highly
dispersion.

Table 4
Pearson Correlation Coefficient between Effect of Self-motivation on Academic
Performance
Variables M SD r P
Students’ Academic Performance (CGPA) 2.99 .79
.690 .000
Self-Motivation 85.83 11.76
P<0.001

The results in table 4 showed that there is a positive strong relationship (r=.690,
p<.001) between the students self-motivation and their CGPA obtained by them. Thus the
Null Hypothesis, is rejected at 1% Level of Significance.

Table 5
Regression Coefficients for Effect of Self - Motivation on Academic Performance of
students
Variables Coefficients(β) Β Standardized t p
Constant 8.687 11.231 .000
Self-Motivation 1.425 .568 3.983 .000
The results shows that effect of self-motivation is statistically significant as t =3.983
and p<0.01(as p value is less than 0.05 and t value is greater than2) with expected positive
sign which implies that self-motivation is positively related with the academic
performance. Hence, null hypothesis “there is no significant effect of self-motivation of
master level students on their academic performance “is rejected. Moreover on average 1
percent increase in self-motivation will result in .568 percent increase in the academic
performance. The overall regression model summery is presented in the following table 6

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Pakistan Languages and Humanities Review (PLHR) Jan-Mar, 2024, Vol. 8, No. 1

Table 6.
Summary of Regression Model
R Square Adjusted R Square F df P
.623 .528 15.235 325 .000
From table 6 it is evident that a significant variation in dependent is explain by the
independent variable F (325) = 15.235, p<.05. The coefficient of determination (R
Square)was.623, indicating that 62% of the variance in CGPA can be explained by self-
motivation. Additionally, the adjusted R Square of .523 suggests that the model
encompasses 52% of the variance in the dependent variable. These findings underscore self-
motivation as a noteworthy predictor of CGPA, with the regression model demonstrating
a reasonably good fit to the data.

Discussion

The main goal of this study was to examine how self-motivation relates to students'
academic performance, which we measured using CGPA. Our findings showed a clear and
strong positive connection between self-motivation and CGPA. This discovery aligns with
earlier research that consistently highlights the significant role self-motivation plays in
shaping students' academic success (Deci& Ryan, 1985; Pintrich& De Groot, 1990).

The statistically significant relationship between self-motivation and CGPA is


substantiated by the regression analysis results. The regression analysis indicated that self-
motivation accounts for a substantial proportion of the variance in CGPA, with a coefficient
of determination (R Square) of .623. This implies that approximately 62% of the variability
in students' CGPA scores can be attributed to their level of self-motivation. These findings
align with prior studies that have emphasized the role of intrinsic motivation and self-
determination in fostering better academic outcomes (Deci et al., 1999; Vallerand et al.,
1992;).

Furthermore, the results of the regression analysis indicate that the model, which
includes self-motivation as a predictor of CGPA, fits the data reasonably well. The adjusted
R Square value remained .623, indicating that the model effectively explains 62% of the
variance in CGPA scores while accounting for the complexity of the model. This
underscores the significance of self-motivation as a predictor of academic performance,
corroborating previous research that has highlighted the role of personal motivation in
students' scholastic achievements (Connell & Wellborn, 1991; Elliot & Church, 1997).

The study also evaluated the practical significance of the self-motivation effect on
academic performance. The results indicated that a 1% increase in self-motivation is
associated with a .568% increase in CGPA. This result underscores the practical importance
of self-motivation in contributing to students' academic success. These findings concur with
studies that have emphasized the cumulative impact of motivational factors on students'
educational outcomes (Meece et al., 2006; Wolters, 2003).

The results of this study offer substantial empirical evidence to confirm that self-
motivation plays a crucial role in predicting the academic progress of students at the
Women university. The evidence generated through this research aligns with prior studies
that have emphasized the positive relationship between self-motivation and academic
achievements. These findings have important implications for educational institutions,
suggesting that fostering and nurturing students' intrinsic motivation can lead to enhanced
academic success.

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Pakistan Languages and Humanities Review (PLHR) Jan-Mar, 2024, Vol. 8, No. 1

Conclusion

The aim of this research was to investigate the correlation between self-motivation
and the academic achievements of students enrolled at the Women University of AJ&K.The
findings offer significant insights into the interplay between self-motivation and academic
performance, particularly among under recognized students at the university. Moreover,
the study's results highlighted that self-leadership exerts a notable positive influence on
students' academic performance.

Recommendations

The researcher suggests the following recommendations based on the conclusions


drawn

1. It is recommended that Educational institutions should design interventions and


programs that foster positive self-concept development among students. This could
include activities aimed at enhancing self-esteem, self-confidence, and a sense of
competence. By nurturing students' self-concept, institutions can indirectly
contribute to improved academic performance.

2. It is also recommended for the universities that they should offer workshops or
training sessions on effective goal-setting strategies can empower students to lay
out clear objectives for their academic pursuits. This can help them channel their
self-motivation into focused efforts, resulting in better academic outcomes.

3. It is recommended that the teachers should actively work to enhance students' self-
efficacy beliefs. Providing constructive feedback, acknowledging students' efforts,
and highlighting their successes can contribute to the development of a strong sense
of self-belief, which positively impacts academic performance.

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Pakistan Languages and Humanities Review (PLHR) Jan-Mar, 2024, Vol. 8, No. 1

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