Parent-Child and Teacher-Pupil Relationships as Predictors of Academic Motivation and Achievement among Primary School Pupils

Abstract

This study investigated parent-child and teacher-pupil relationship as predictors of academic motivation and achievement among school children. Participants were 299 Primary 5 and 6 school pupils. They were randomly selected from two primary schools in southeast Nigeria. Their ages ranged from 7-12 years, with a mean age of 10.06 years. Three instruments were used to elicit information from respondents. They include Parent as a Social Context Questionnaire (Child Report Version), Teacher as a Social Context Questionnaire (Child Report Version), and the adapted version of Herman’s Questionnaire Measure of Need Achievement. The students’ cumulative results were assessed from the official school record to determine their academic achievements. The study tested four hypotheses and the results of the regression analyses showed that parent-child relationship was a significant predictor of academic achievement. Teacher-pupil relationship also significantly predicted academic achievement and academic motivation, whereas parent-child relationship did not predict academic motivation. Implications and limitations of the study were discussed and suggestions were made for further studies.