Understanding Stoichiometry Achievement: A Predictive Analysis of Motivation and Attitude in Resource Constrained Secondary Schools
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Students’ persistent difficulties and low achievement in stoichiometry have continued to raise concerns about the role of motivational and attitudinal factors in learning abstract chemistry concepts in under‑resourced secondary school settings. This study employed a predictive correlational design to examine the prediction of motivation and attitude on students' achievement in stoichiometry in resource-constrained secondary schools. Regression analyses were used for data analysis. The findings indicated that motivation is a significant and moderate predictor of students' achievement in stoichiometry, explaining 33.0% of the variance, while attitude exhibited a low yet statistically significant predictive effect, accounting for 14.0% of the variance. In the joint regression analysis, motivation emerged as the dominant predictor of stoichiometry achievement (β = .514), while attitude made a smaller but statistically significant contribution (β = .128), indicating that motivation explains more of the variance when both variables are considered together. It is therefore recommended that chemistry teachers and curriculum designers prioritise strategies that enhance students’ motivation and attitude to improve achievement in stoichiometry.
Authors: Stephen Chinedu Nwafor, Maria Tsakeni
Institution: University of the Free State
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7223101271