Academic engagement and autonomous motivation: a study in South Ethiopia, secondary schools

Alarming 94.6% of Ethiopian students failed their essential secondary school examination, highlighting a crisis in the education system that requires an examination of students’ autonomous motivation. Numerous studies have focused on predicting levels of engagement through motivation, which has been overlooked. However, research on the impact of academic engagement on autonomous motivation is lacking. This study investigated the correlation between academic engagement and autonomous motivation among secondary school students in the south region state, Ethiopia. The researchers administered self-report surveys to 383 students who participated through random selection. Descriptive statistics and multiple regression models were used to analyze the relationships. Most of the students showed controlled motivational patterns. However, academic engagement was related to both forms of motivation. Female students showed higher levels of controlled and autonomous motivation than male students. These findings indicate that disregarding students’ interests and perspectives diminishes autonomous motivation. Curriculum design should encourage students to be self-motivated using assessment systems and feedback loops, ensuring that indicators of student development and motivation are aligned, and using teaching methods that have different learning styles for males and females.