Measured intelligence, social class, academic achievement and academic achievement motivation in selected Jamaican high school students

Abstract

This study sought to investigate the distribution of, and interrelationships among the variables, intelligence, social class, and academic achievement in four Jamaican high schools. It also attempted to examine the academic motivation of different types of students in these schools--student types being based on certain combinations of these variables. An intelligence test and questionnaires were used to collect data from a sample of 506 Form 4 students of four boys' secondary schools in Kingston, Jamaica. Results of the data analysis revealed: 1) significant differences between high- and low-achieving students on Academic Self Concept, Study Habits, Academic Initiative, Persistence, Susceptibility to Distraction, Influence of the Home, and Need for Academic Achievement; 2) there were no significant differences between middle-class, high-ability, high-achieving students and working-class students of similar ability and achievement; and 3) the working-class, high-ability, high-achieving students showed higher motivation than middle-class students of high ability but low achievement