A Preliminary Study on The Relationship Between Religiosity and Academic Performance Among Secondary School Students in Shah Alam

Abstract

Academic performance among secondary school students is increasingly shaped not only by cognitive and psychological factors but also by spiritual and moral dimensions that remain underexplored in contemporary educational research, particularly in urban Malaysian school contexts, where adolescents face growing challenges related to moral deterioration, digital distractions, and declining motivation to learn. This preliminary study examines the relationship between religiosity and academic performance among secondary school students in Shah Alam, Malaysia. Employing a quantitative survey design, data were collected using a structured questionnaire comprising two constructs: religiosity, operationalized across three dimensions; Islamic worldview, religious practices, and moral conduct; and academic achievement, encompassing study behaviour, motivation, classroom engagement, and perceived performance. A total of 44 secondary school students from a selected urban school in Shah Alam participated in this pilot study. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and Pearson correlation analysis via SPSS version 27. The findings revealed that students demonstrated high levels of both religiosity and academic achievement across all measured dimensions. Pearson correlation analysis indicated a strong, statistically significant positive relationship between religiosity and academic achievement (r = .746, p < .001), suggesting that higher levels of religious commitment are associated with better academic performance. These findings carry significant implications for educators and policymakers, highlighting the importance of integrating spiritual and moral development into holistic educational practices and informing the design of school programs that nurture both academic excellence and religious character formation among Malaysian secondary school students.