Student Engagement and Teaching Motivation as Correlates of Academic Success among TLE Industrial Arts Students

Academic success in Technology and Livelihood Education (TLE)–Industrial Arts requires both conceptual understanding and practical skill development. Student engagement and teaching motivation are important factors associated with students’ learning experiences and academic functioning. However, limited research has examined their individual relationships and combined predictive contribution to multidimensional academic success among secondary TLE–Industrial Arts students. This study examined student engagement, teaching motivation and academic success among Technology and Livelihood Education (TLE)–Industrial Arts students and assessed the associations and combined predictive contributions of engagement and motivation to academic success. A quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional descriptive-correlational design was employed. Using stratified random sampling, 300 Grade 9 and Grade 10 students were selected from four public secondary schools in Cluster 1, Davao City, Philippines. Data were obtained through adapted instruments measuring behavioural, cognitive and emotional engagement; teacher support, words and rewards; and multidimensional academic success. Means and standard deviations were used to describe the variables, while Pearson product-moment correlation and multiple regression were used for inferential analysis. The reported overall levels of student engagement (M = 4.17) and academic success (M = 3.58) were high, while teaching motivation (M = 4.50) was very high. Student engagement (r = .650) and teaching motivation (r = .597) were both positively associated with academic success. The reported regression model accounted for 47.2% of the variance in academic success, with student engagement showing the larger standardised coefficient. The findings suggest that students’ participation in learning and their perceptions of teachers’ motivational practices are associated with their reported academic functioning. As the design was cross-sectional and non-experimental, the results do not establish causal relationships. The findings may inform supportive and engaging learning experiences in secondary TLE–Industrial Arts education.