Relationship between motivation and academic achievement

The main purpose of the study was to investigate the relationship between motivation, self-concept and academic achievement. In addition, late childhood school student’s differences between self-concept, motivation and academic achievement were investigated. The study utilized a quantitative conceptual study. The study found that there were significant correlations between self-concept, motivation and academic achievement of late childhood school students. It was also found that female students are significantly more motivated than their male counterparts. The study concluded that the findings justify the importance of self-concept and motivation to academic achievement, and some recommendations were made regarding the enhancement of motivation and self-concept of late childhood school students..


Introduction
Motivation is the reason for people's actions, desires, and needs. Motivation is also one's direction to behaviour, or what causes a person to want to repeat behaviour. A motive is what prompts the person to act in a certain way, or at least develop an inclination for specific behaviour.
According to Maehr and Meyer, "Motivation is a word that is part of the popular culture as few other psychological concepts are."

Types of theories and models:-
Motivation theories can be classified on a number of bases: Content vs. Process: based on whether the focus is on the content ("what") motivates vs process ("how") motivation takes place. Natural vs. Rational: Based on whether the underlying theory of human cognition is based on natural forces (drives, needs, desires) or some kind of rationality (instrumentality, meaningfulness, and self-identity).
In the present competitive world everybody desires for a high level of achievement. Today's modern society expects everyone to be a high achiever. Quality of performance has been regarded as a key factor for personal progress and national development. A modern democratic society cannot achieve its aim of economic growth, technical development and cultural advancement without fully harnessing the talents of its citizens, because enlightened citizens are said to be the most valuable assets of society, who cherish democratic values preserve in basic human freedom. People irrespective of any discrimination rich, and poor, advantage and disadvantage, literate and illiterate, therefore, are geared to invest in education of their children. The present century has been visualized as a technologically advance world. Hence starting from school level, parents, teachers and administrators, all desire for heavy investment for their late childhood school students. Educated manpower is the emerging need of any nation as educated and skilled human resource is asset for any country. In this context, it becomes indispensable to develop human resource from the late stages of human life; late childhood school students are to be set to develop realistic aspiration encompassing their lives, education and prospects of the future. Therefore, correlate to academic IJASR|VOL 04|ISSUE 01|2018 www.ssjournals.com achievement draw the attention of researchers. Achievement motivation have been considered as an extended person-intrinsic motivation showing a pattern of actions, planning and feelings connected with striving to achieve some internalized standards of excellence. Need for achievement has been regarded as an individual's personality affective person's behaviour. It is also regarded as a learned motivation. Achievement Motivation is the attitude to achieve rather than the achievements themselves. It can be considered as extended person-intrinsic motivation because its reinforcement is delayed. It arises from an interaction within the person. Achievement motivation is "a pattern of planning of actions and of feelings connected with striving to achieve some internalized standard of excellence, as contrasted for example, will power or friendship" As academic achievement is not a function of cognitive variable alone the emphatic stress on the contribution of the psychological variable is imperative. As such which of the psychological variable is of prime importance, what percentage of proportion variance is attributable by them towards the criteria, needs elaboration and quantification. [1] As an innate phenomenon, motivation is influenced by four factors of context (environment and external stimuli), temper (the internal condition of an organism), goal (goal of behavior, purpose and inclination) and instruments (instruments for achieving the goal). In order to achieve their goals, needs and instincts, human beings acquire the sufficient motivation. Particularly with respect to late childhood school students, motivation for academic achievement is of great importance. By such motivation people are stimulated to successfully complete an assignment, achieving a goal or a degree of qualification in their professions. Accordingly motivation defines the reasons behind people's behavior and determines why they behave in a particular way. Motivated behaviors are energetic, oriented and permanent. In educational perspective, motivation has a multi-dimensional structure which is correlated with learning and academic motivation. There are different interpretations of motivation. In the discipline of education motivation is a tridimensional phenomenon consisting of individual's beliefs in ability in carrying out a specific task, reasons and goals of the individual in doing the task and the emotional response concerning carrying out the task. Experts have divided motivation into two major groups of internal motivation and external motivation. While the individual influenced by the external motivation with an independent the internal motivation provides the sufficient incentive for doing a task. Psychologists have noted that motivation should be taken into account in education because of its effective relationship with new learning, abilities, strategies and behaviours, and they have presented motivation for academic achievement as one of the preliminary constructs for defining such type of motivation. Motivation for academic achievement is attributed to behaviors which lead to learning and achievement. In other words, motivation for academic achievement is such a pervasive inclination towards doing a task successfully in a particular context and assessing the performance spontaneously. The bulk of behaviors indicating the academic motivation involve insisting on doing difficult assignments, hardworking or effort into learning to reach mastery and choosing assignments which need great effort. Accordingly, motivation for academic achievement, or internal motivation, is a psycho-cognitive condition which is acquired once the individual perceive him/herself to have autonomy. In the past decades because of the effect of motivation for academic achievement on late childhood school students' success, psychologists have recognized and examined the effective factors in motivation for academic achievement. The results of their research indicated that personality, family, university and social variables are related to this construct. As an instance personality variables of late childhood school students in general and self-esteem and motivation for academic achievement in particular have intrinsically affected the learning and academic achievement . Others directed their studies towards integrating intellectual ability, learning style, personality and motivation for academic achievement as the predictors of academic achievement in higher education. In a research, for students of late childhood the most important motivational factor in choosing an academic major have been the personality factors such as social status. Furthermore, researchers consider variables of hope for the future, self-esteem, quality of instructional factors, family income and married students as the chief factors in decreasing academic motivation. Moreover, motivational damages on one hand caused a kind of pessimism, anxiety and depression and on the other hand resulted in academic performance failure in late childhood school students. Consistent with these results, researchers argue that in order to create motivation education should be presented in appropriate context with desirable facilities concerning the learners' needs. Studies carried out in the west have widely investigated the academic motivation. In Kota, attention has also been, more or less, paid to this phenomenon. However, a few researchers in the academic field have studied the role of motivation in academic achievement. Concerning the existing gap in the academic motivation of late childhood school students, this study has examined the relationship between academic motivation and academic achievement in late childhood school students. In this study, the relationship between the indicators of academic motivation, www.ssjournals.com i.e. interest in task, inclination to effort, competitiveness, social power, affiliation, social concern, praise and token, with academic achievement was particularly examined. [2,3]

Objectives of the Study
To study whether there exists gender, locale and type of the school differences in achievement motivation and academic achievement of late childhood school students.
To study whether there exists significant difference in academic achievement due to high, average and low level of achievement motivation in the late childhood school students.
To study whether high, average and low groups of students in academic achievement are discriminated in the achievement motivation late childhood school students.

Impact of teaching style on student intrinsic motivation
It may appear that the reason some late childhood school students are more engaged and perform better in class activities relative to other late childhood school students is because some are more motivated than others. However, current research suggests that motivation is not concrete or quantifiable; it is "dynamic, context sensitive, and changeable." Thus, students have the flexibility to intrinsically motivate themselves to engage in an activity or learn something new even if they were not intrinsically motivated in the first place. While having this type of flexibility is important, research reveals that a teacher's teaching style and the school environment also play a factor in late childhood school student's motivation.
According to Sansone and Morgan, when students are already motivated to engage in an activity for their own personal pleasure and then a teacher provides the late childhood school students with feedback, the type of feedback given can change the way that student views the activity and can even undermine their intrinsic motivation. Maclellan also looked at the relationship between tutors and late childhood school students and in particular, and the type of feedback the tutor would give to the student. Maclellan's results showed that praise or criticism directed towards the late childhood school students generated a feeling of "fixed intelligence" while praise and criticism directed towards the effort and strategy used by the late childhood school students generated a feeling of "malleable intelligence". In other words, feedback concerning effort and strategy leaves students knowing that there is room for growth. This is important because when students believe their intelligence is "fixed", their mindset can prevent skill development because students will believe that they only have a "certain amount" of understanding on a particular subject matter and might not even try. Therefore, it's crucial that a teacher is aware of how the feedback they give to their students can both positively and negatively impact the student's engagement and motivation.
In a correlational study, Katz and Shahar used a series of questionnaires and Likert-style scales and gave them to 100 teachers to see what makes a motivating teacher. Their results indicate that teachers who are intrinsically motivated to teach and believe that late childhood school students should be taught in an autonomous style are the types of teachers that promote intrinsic motivation in the classroom. Deci, Sheinman, and Nezlek also found that when teachers adapted to an autonomous teaching style, late childhood school students were positively affected and became more intrinsically motivated to achieve in the classroom. However, while the students were quick to adapt to the new teaching style the impact was short-lived. Thus, teachers are limited in the way they teach because they'll feel a pressure to act, teach, and provide feedback in a certain way from the school district, administration, and guardians. Furthermore, even if late childhood school students do have a teacher that promotes an autonomous teaching style, their overall school environment is also a factor because it can be extrinsically motivating. Examples of this would be posters around school promoting pizza parties for highest grade point average or longer recess times for the classroom that brings more canned food donations. [4]

Indigenous education and learning
For many indigenous late childhood school students, motivation may be derived from social organization; an important factor educator should account for in addition to variations in sociolinguistics and cognition. While poor academic performance among late childhood student attributed to low levels of motivation, Top-down classroom organization is often found to be ineffective for late childhood school students of many cultures who depend on a sense of community, purpose, and competence in order to engage. Horizontally structured, community-based learning strategies often provide a more structurally supportive environment for motivating indigenous late childhood school students, who tend to be driven by "social/affective emphasis, harmony, holistic perspectives, expressive creativity, and nonverbal communication." This drive is also traceable to a cultural tradition of community-wide expectations of participation in the activities and goals of the greater group, rather than individualized aspirations of success or triumph.
Also, in some indigenous communities, late childhood school students can often portray a sense of community-based motivation through their parent-like interactions with siblings. Furthermore, it is commonplace www.ssjournals.com for late childhood school students to assist and demonstrate for their younger counterparts without being prompted by authority figures. Observation techniques and integration methods are demonstrated, where it is commonplace for late childhood school students to learn from "a more skilled other" within the community. The child's real responsibility within the Mayan community can be seen in, for example, weaving apprenticeships; often, when the "more skilled other" is tasked with multiple obligations, an older child will step in and guide the learner. Sibling guidance is supported from early youth, where learning through play encourages horizontally structured environments through alternative educational models such as "Intent Community Participation."Research also suggests that that formal Westernized schooling can actually reshape the traditionally collaborative nature of social life in indigenous communities. This research is supported cross-culturally, with variations in motivation and learning often reported higher between indigenous groups and their national Westernized counterparts than between indigenous groups across international continental divides. Also, in some Indigenous communities in the Americas, motivation is a driving force for learning. Late childhood school students are incorporated and welcomed to participate in daily activities and thus feel motivated to participate due to them seeking a sense of belonging in their families and communities.
Late childhood school student's participation is encouraged and their learning is supported by their community and family, furthering their motivation. Late childhood school students are also trusted to be active contributors. Their active participation allows them to learn and gain skills that are valuable and useful in their communities.
As children transition from early childhood to middle childhood, their motivation to participate changes. late childhood school students often experience a transition in which they become more included into their families and community's endeavors.
This changes their position and role in their families to more responsible ones and leads to an increase in their eagerness to participate and belong. As children go through this transition, they often develop a sense of identity within their family and community.
The transition from childhood to adolescence can be seen in the amount of work children partake in as these changes over time. For example, Yucatec Mayan children's play time decreases from childhood and as the child gets older, is replaced for time spent working. In childhood the work is initiated by others whereas in adolescence it is selfinitiated. The shift in initiation and the change in time spent working versus playing shows the children's motivation to participate in order to learn.
This transition between late childhood school student's increases motivation because children gain social responsibility within their families. In some Mexican communities of Indigenous-heritage, the contribution that children make within their community are essential to being social beings, establish their developing roles, and also helps with developing their relationship with their family and community.
As late childhood school students gain more roles and responsibilities within their families, their eagerness to participate also increases. For example, Young Mayan children of San Pedro, Guatemala learn to work in the fields and family run businesses because they are motivated to contribute to their family. Many San Pedro women learned to weave by watching their mothers sew when they were late childhood school students, sometimes earning their own wool through doing small tasks such as watching young children of busy mothers. Eager to learn and contribute, these young girls helped other members of their community in order to help their mothers with their weaving businesses or through other tasks such as helping carry water while young boys helped with tasks such as carrying firewood alongside their fathers.
Late childhood school student's motivation to learn is not solely influenced on their desire to belong but also their eagerness to see their community succeed. Late childhood school students from communities were shown to have higher levels of social concern than Anglo American children in their schools. By having high levels of social concern the indigenous late childhood school students are showing concern for not only their learning but also their peers', which serves as an example of their instilled sense of responsibility for their community. They wish to succeed as a united group rather than just themselves.
In order to be knowledgeable contributors, children must be aware of their surroundings and community's goals. Late childhood school students learning in Indigenous-heritage communities is mainly based upon observing and helping out others in their community.
Through this type of participation within their community, they gain purpose and motivation for the activity that they are doing within their community and become active participants because they know they are doing it for their community. [5]

Self-determination in education
Self-determination is the ability to make choices and exercise a high degree of control, such as what the student does and how they do it. Self-determination can be supported by providing opportunities for students to be challenged, such as leadership opportunities, providing IJASR|VOL 04|ISSUE 01|2018 www.ssjournals.com appropriate feedback and fostering, establishing and maintaining good relationships between teachers and students. These strategies can increase students' interest, competence, creativity and desire to be challenged and ensure that students are intrinsically motivated to study. On the other hand, students who lack self-determination are more likely to feel their success is out of their control. Such students lose motivation to study, which causes a state of "helpless learning". Students who feel helpless readily believe they will fail and therefore cease to try. Over time, a vicious circle of low achievement develops. [6] 2

.3 Physical activity in education
Physical activity is body movement that works your muscles and requires more energy than resting. According to a blog by the American Intercontinental University, college students should make time for exercise to maintain and increase motivation. AIU states that regular exercise has impeccable effects on the brain. With consistent running routines, there are more complex connections between neurons, meaning the brain is able to access its brain cells more flexibly. By performing well physically, motivation will be present in education because of how well the brain is performing.
After exercising, the brain can have more desire to obtain knowledge and better retain the information. In addition, exercise can relieve stress. Exercising can ease anxiety and relieve negative effects of stress on the body. Without stress factors, individuals can perform better and more efficiently, since their minds will have a more positive outlook. This positive mood will help keep students motivated and more open and willing to succeed academically. Lastly, exercise increases focus and concentration that could also help students maintain their motivation and focus on their studies. AIU claims that exercise may have improved the students' ability to participate and retain information during the class after they had exercised. Being able to retain information and being willing to participate, keeps students motivated and performing well academically. [7]

Conclusion
In conclusion, it is not a matter whether a student is motivated, unmotivated, or more motivated than other late childhood school students -it's a matter of understanding what motivates students before providing a certain type of feedback. Furthermore, it is also important to note that despite the classroom environment and the teacher's teaching style, the overall school environment plays a role in late childhood school students' intrinsic motivation.