Relationship Among Intelligence, Achievement Motivation, Type of School, and Academic Performance of Kenyan Urban Primary School Pupils

Abstract

This chapter determines the extent to which primary school academic performance was influenced by the criterion variables. Two hundred pupils, male and female of age 12 and 14.5 years from both public and private primary schools in Nairobi city, participated in the study. Multiple regression and t-test were used for data analysis. The results revealed that three independent variables—intelligence, achievement, motivation—and type of school jointly and significantly contributed to the prediction of academic achievement of the urban primary school pupils (R = 0.693, P < .01). In terms of magnitude of contribution, intelligence turned out to be the most significant predictor (Beta = .445, t = 7.503, P< .01) followed by achievement motivation (beta = 0.282, t – 5.042, P< .01) and type of school (Beta = 0.208, t = 3.615, P < .01). The results of t-test revealed that students from private schools differ significantly from students of public schools in academic achievement and intelligence but not in terms of achievement motivation.