Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation as predictors of academic achievement among high-ability students in Ibadan, Nigeria

Introduction: This study was carried out to examine extrinsic and intrinsic motivation as predictors of academic achievement among high-ability students in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. Purpose: The aim of the study is raising the awareness of school teachers, parents and some secondary school students to the importance of developing intrinsic and extrinsic motivation to increase academic achievement among high-ability students. Methodology: A descriptive research design of the correlational type was adopted to explore the prediction of academic achievement from intrinsic and extrinsic motivation among high-ability students in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. Forty secondary school students were selected through a purposive sampling technique in four local governments in Ibadan, Oyo state, Nigeria. Instruments employed were the academic motivation scale and the academic achievement scales in English and mathematics. Results: The results revealed that there was a significant relative contribution of the independent variables to the dependent variable, expressed as beta weights. There is a relative coefficient of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation on academic achievement. The results showed that intrinsic motivation enhanced academic achievement among high-ability students in Oyo state, Nigeria. The results also imply that there is a joint contribution of the intrinsic and extrinsic motivation on academic achievement of high-ability students in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria Conclusion and Suggestion: It was suggested that educators should integrate the development of self-determining skills in their students so that they will not see academic challenges as an insurmountable task. They would therefore develop an inner desire to attain the higher academic goals.