The relationship between academic self-regulation, motivation, and academic achievement among public secondary school students in the West Hararghe Zone of Ethiopia

This study examined the relationships among academic self-regulation, motivation, and academic achievement among public secondary school students in the West Hararghe Zone, Ethiopia, with particular attention to whether self-regulation mediates the motivation-achievement relationship. A mixed-methods approach, particularly an explanatory sequential design, was employed. The quantitative phase included 397 secondary school students through stratified random sampling, who completed questionnaires assessing self-regulation and academic motivation. Students’ cumulative academic scores were used as the indicator of academic achievement. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, multiple regression, and mediation analysis via the PROCESS macro. Regression results revealed that both academic motivation and self-regulation significantly predicted academic achievement. Critically, mediation analysis indicated that self-regulation partially mediated the relationship between motivation and achievement (indirect effect = 0.21, 95% CI [0.14, 0.29]), with approximately 58% of motivation’s total effect operating through self-regulatory processes. (indirect effect = 0.21, 95% CI [0.14, 0.29]). Qualitative interviews were conducted with 15 purposively selected students (selected based on extreme or anomalous quantitative patterns). Thematic analysis of the interview transcripts revealed three key themes that explained the mediation pathway. First, self-regulation as a psychological scaffold—students reported that planning and self-monitoring made success feel attainable, which in turn fueled their motivation. Second, familial motivation—many students derived motivation from family sacrifice (e.g., a mother selling roasted barley to pay for books), a culturally specific driver not captured by standardized scales. Third, the virtuous cycle of success students described a self-reinforcing loop where a good grade led to planned study efforts, which produced further success and greater motivation. Based on these findings, the study recommends enhancing school-based counseling services, strengthening life-skills interventions, and improving teacher professional development programs focused on fostering both motivational and self-regulatory competencies.