GASPRO International Journal of Eminent Scholars

The study examined teachers’ motivational strategies and the academic performance of social studies students in junior secondary schools in the Uyo Local Government Area. The population of this study comprised all teachers and students in Uyo Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State in Nigeria. The study adopted an Ex-Post Facto research design while a simple random sampling technique was used to select a sample size of five hundred and twenty respondents (520). The instrument used for data collection was tagged “Teachers Motivational Strategies Questionnaire (TMSQ)”, which was administered to the respondents via direct delivery method. Pearson Product Moment Correlation analysis was used in testing the hypotheses. The findings revealed that teachers’ offer of incentives, provision of timely feedback, use of praise, adoption of ICT, enhancement of students’ curiosity and use of recreational motivation have remarkable relationship with students’ academic performance in social studies in Uyo Local Government Area. The study concluded that teachers’ motivational strategies play a pivotal role in shaping the academic performance of Social Studies students in junior secondary schools within Uyo Local Government Area. It also mentioned that the positive effects of well-implemented motivational strategies such as praise, rewards, and student-centered approaches cannot be overstated, as they foster a conducive learning environment, build students’ confidence, and encourage active participation. One of the recommendations made was that teachers should regularly offer incentives, such as rewards or recognition, to motivate students in Social Studies. Incentives can include verbal praise, certificates, or small rewards that promote healthy competition and inspire students to achieve higher academic performance.

KEYWORDS:   Motivational strategies, Academic performance, Social studies students, Junior secondary school and Uyo Local Government Area