Strategies for Increasing Students’ Self-motivation

Aim: To identify the strategies for increasing self-motivation for academic improvement among secondary school students in Kisumu County, Kenya

Sample: The study population was 113,314 students enrolled in secondary schools in Kisumu County. Convenient sampling technique was used to draw a sample of 224 students.

Study Design: The study employed phenomenological design in the qualitative approach.

Place and Duration of Study: The area of the study was Kisumu County, Kenya, between September and October 2017.

Methodology: Focus group discussions were used to collect qualitative data. Focus group discussion guide was piloted with students who did not participate in the study to establish validity and reliability. Data was collected verbally, transcribed verbatim, and summarized using thematic analysis to yield significant themes.

Results: The study revealed that students expected that when they are facilitated to have high levels of self-discipline, own and plan their work and time with guidance and support from fellow students, parents and teachers, then they would develop high levels of self-motivation.

Conclusions: Promoting self-discipline, goal orientation, integrated extrinsic motivation, time management and autonomy-supportive teaching and learning environment are strategies that might be useful strategies in increasing self-motivation.