Relationship between Emotional Engagement and Academic Achievement among Kenyan Secondary School Students

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between emotional engagement and academic achievement among secondary school students of Manga Sub County, Nyamira County, Kenya. The study was hinged on the Self Determination theoretical perspective. The concurrent triangulation design of the mixed methods approach was employed. From the target population of 1750 form four students, 35 Principals and 35 Guidance and Counselling teachers, 316 students, 11 Principals and 11 Guidance and counselling teachers, and 11 student leaders were randomly sampled for the study. Questionnaires were used to collect data from the students, while interview schedules were used to collect data from Principals, Guidance and Counselling teachers and student leaders. The face validity of the research instruments was determined by experts from the department of Psychology and Educational Foundations of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology. Reliability was ascertained by the internal consistency method using Cronbach’s alpha, and a reliability coefficient of 0.849 was obtained for the questionnaire. Inferential statistics from quantitative data were analyzed using Pearson’s Product correlation and regression analysis with the aid of the statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 22. Qualitative data from interviews were analyzed thematically. The study revealed that there was a statistically significant moderate positive correlation(r=.354, N=312, p<.05) between emotional engagement and academic achievement among the students, with an increase in emotional engagement occasioning an improvement in academic achievement. The study recommended that teacher counsellors should adopt appropriate therapy techniques geared towards the enhancement of emotional engagement of all students in the schools of their jurisdiction in order to boost their chances of doing better in their studies.