ABSTRACT This study was carried out to investigate the influence of parental support on achievement motivation and interest in schoolwork of secondary school students. The study was guided by seven research questions and four null hypotheses. The design of the study was ex-post facto design. A multi-stage sampling technique was used to select 240 students in SSII. The instrument used for data collection was a questionnaire on achievement, motivation and interest. The Cronbach Alpha method was used to measure the internal consistency coefficient of the instrument. Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the seven research questions while t-test was used to test the null hypothesis at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study showed that, parental support has no significant influence on achievement motivation of secondary school students, influence of parental support on interest in schoolwork of secondary school students is not significant, gender has no significant influence on secondary school students’ achievement motivation and students’ gender has no significant influence on their interest in schoolwork.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page - - - - - - - - - - i

Approval Page- - - - - - - - - ii

Certification - - - - - - - - - iii

Dedication - - - - - - - - - iv

Acknowledgement - - - - - - - - v

Table of Content - - - - - - - - - vi

List of Tables - - - - - - - - - x

Abstract - - - - - - - - - xi

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION - - - - - - 1

Background of the Study - - - - - - - - 1

Statement of the Problem - - - - - - - - 8

Purpose of the Study - - - - - - - - 9

Significance of the Study - - - - - - - - 10

Scope of the Study - - - - - - - - - 11

Research Question - - - - - - - - - 11

Hypotheses - - - - - - - - - - 12

CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF LITERATURE - - - - 13

Review of Literature - - - - - - - - 13

Conceptual Framework - - - - - - - - 13

Theoretical Framework - - - - - - - - 13

Empirical Studies - - - - - - - - - 13

Motivation - - - - - - - - - - 14

Achievement Motivation - - - - - - - - 16

Interest - - - - - - - - - - 18

x

Parental Support - - - - - - - - - 20

Gender - - - - - - - - - - 22

Relationship having Parental Support, Achievement Motivation and Interest

in Schoolwork - - - - - - - - 23

Theoretical Framework - - - - - - - 25

Maslow‟s Theory of Motivation - - - - - - - 25

Bandura‟s Social Learning Theory - - - - - - - 28

Attribution Theory - - - - - - - - - 28

Empirical Studies - - - - - - - - 30

Achievement Motivation and Interest of Secondary School Students

Children‟s inner Resources for school Achievement: The impact of parental support.

Parental Involvement, Interest in schooling and achievement motivation.

Gender differences in educational Achievement motivation.

Gender differences in attitude towards mathematics.

Models of secondary school students‟ Interest in homework: A multilevel Analysis.

Summary of Review of Literature - - - - - - 33

CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODS -- - - - 35

Design of the Study - - - - - - - - - 35

Area of the Study - - - - - - - - - 35

Population of the Study - - - - - - - - 36

Sample and Sampling Technique - - - - - - - 37

Instrument for Data Collection - - - - - - - 37

Validation of the Instrument - - - - - - - 37

Reliability of the Instrument - - - - - - - 38

xi

Method of Data Collection - - - - - - - - 38

Method of Data Analysis - - - - - - - - 38

CHAPTER FOUR: DATA ANALYSIS - - - - - 39

Research Question One - - - - - - - - 39

Research Question Two - - - - - - - 39

Research Question Three - - - - - - - 40

Research Question Four - - - - - - - 40

Hypothesis One - - - - - - - - 41

Research Question Five - - - - - - - 42

Hypothesis Two - - - - - - - - 42

Research Question Six - - - - - - - 43

Hypothesis Three - - - - - - - - 43

Research Question Seven - - - - - - - 44

Hypothesis Four - - - - - - - - 44

CHAPTER FIVE: SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, DISCUSION AND

 RECOMMENDATIONS - - - - 46

Summary of Findings - - - - - - - - 46

Discussion of Findings - - - - - - - 46

Implication of Study - - - - - - - - 47

Recommendation - - - - - - - - 47

Limitations of the Study - - - - - - - 48

Suggestion for Further Studies - - - - - - 48

Summary of the study - - - - - - - - 49