Relationship between Motivation Level and Mathematics Achievement Level for Form Four Students

This study aims to identify the types of motivation, specifically intrinsic and extrinsic among Form Four students in Mathematics. It also examines the relationship between these motivation levels and their achievement, particularly in the mid-year examinations. A descriptive correlational research design was used. The study focused on two main variables, i.e., students’ motivation levels and their academic achievement in Mathematics. Using a cluster sampling method, the study targeted 150 Form Four students from a secondary school in the Tanjong Malim district, Perak. From this group, a sample of 30 students was selected, i.e., from one classroom. Data were collected using questionnaires and mid-year examination results. The data were then analyzed using the Likert Scale, descriptive statistics, and Pearson Correlation in SPSS version 29. The results showed that students had a moderate level of intrinsic motivation, with a mean score of 2.80. Whereas, their extrinsic motivation level was higher, with a mean score of 3.14. Overall, both motivation levels were categorized as high. The correlation analysis revealed a significant positive relationship between overall motivation and achievement (r = 0.503). This indicates that students with higher motivation tend to achieve better results in the subject. The correlation analysis gave a deeper understanding. Intrinsic motivation showed a strong and significant positive relationship with achievement (r = 0.569, p = 0.001). In contrast, extrinsic motivation showed only a weak and non-significant relationship with achievement (r = 0.281, p > 0.05). This suggests that depending on external rewards alone may not lead to higher performance.