Comparative Assessment of Motivation and Interpersonal Skills on Academic Achievement in Chemistry among Post-Basic School Students in Gombe State, Nigeria

Abstract

This study investigated the predictive power of motivation and interpersonal skills on students’ academic achievement in chemistry in post-basic schools in Gombe State, Nigeria. A predictive correlational research design was adopted for the study. The population comprised 10,038 SS III students offering Chemistry in 71 post-basic schools. A sample of 370 students was selected using a multistage sampling technique. Data were collected using the Chemistry Students’ Motivation and Interpersonal Skills Questionnaire (CSMISQ), adapted from the Academic Competency Evaluation Scale–Student Form, and the Chemistry Result Proforma (CRP). The CSMISQ consisted of 25 items, comprising 15 motivation and 10 interpersonal skills items measured on a five-point Likert scale. The instrument was validated by three experts, while Cronbach’s alpha yielded reliability coefficients of 0.78 and 0.81 for the motivation and interpersonal skills subscales, respectively. Data were analyzed using linear and multiple regression. The findings showed that students’ motivation significantly predicted academic achievement in Chemistry (R = .565, R² = .320, t(368) = 13.145, p < .05). Students’ interpersonal skills also had a significant predictive power on their academic achievement (R = .443, R² = .196, t(368) = 9.471, p < .05). Furthermore, students’ motivation and interpersonal skills jointly had a significant predictive power on their academic achievement in Chemistry (R = .643, R² = .414, F(2, 367) = 129.578, p < .05). The study concluded that motivation and interpersonal skills are significant predictors of academic achievement in Chemistry. It was recommended that Schools and teacher education programmes should integrate motivational and interpersonal-skill development into Chemistry instruction through supportive, collaborative and student-centred learning environments that promote both academic engagement and effective social interaction.