Abstract
D.Ed.
The situation in education in Soweto in the 1980's was an
important contributory factor to this study. Problems resulting
from underachievement, early school drop-out and
the consequent loss of manpower provision, are current and
are often ascribed to inadequate achievement motivation.
As part of the project "Learning motivation" which has been
undertaken by the Education Faculty of the Rand Afrikaanse
University, inter-disciplinary in approach and financially
supported by HSRC, this study attempts to locate achievement
motivation in the anthropological-pedagogic paradigm. Within
the context of black education, it is particularly aimed at
devising measuring instruments for the establishment of
reliable and valid measures of achievement motivation for
standards six, eight and ten pupils in Soweto. It also
attempts to establish whether there is any tendency in the
achievement motivation between these different standards and
certain biographical information with the objective of setting
up a possible guidance programme which would endeavour to
strenghten the achievement motivation of these pupils.
A number of theories on motivation, learning- and achievement
motivation were studied. Direct and indirect measuring techniques
to determine the level of achievement motivation were
then considered. Eventually it was decided to include Viljoen's
(1983) achievement motivation questionnaire (AMQ) and Hermans'
(1972) "Prestatie Motivatie Test voor Kinderen" (PMT-K) in the
questionnaire booklet. This booklet comprised the following
tests: the Achievement Motivation Questionnaire (AMQ), the
aspiration level test, the Prestatie Motivatie Test voor
Kinderen (PMT-K), the Modernity Scale of Thompson (1977 & 1980)
and questions to gather biographical data. The AMQ consists
of eighty items of which eight indicate social desirability,
while the rest indicate certain characteristics, as derived
from the study of the literature, of the achievement motivated
person. The PMT-K consists of four achievement motivation
scales namely achievement motive, positive fear of failure,
negative fear of failure and social desirability. These two
questionnaires·are used in an attempt to determine the scholastic
achievement motivation and fear of failure of standards
six, eight and ten pupils in different secondary schools in
Soweto (N = 778).
A further in-depth study using the projective Thematic Apperception
Test (TAT) of Baran (1971) was undertaken with a small
group of standard six pupils, but the results of this investigation
were not significant.
Statistical calculations were applied to the data to determine
the reliability and validity of the measures of the AMQ and
PMT-K. Furthermore an attempt was made to determine whether
there were any significant differences between the achievement
motivation and fear of failure of standard six pupils and a
number of biographical information.
The results of the study led to the following conclusions:
= the Achievement Motivation Questionnaire appears to
be effective in determining the achievement motivation
of standard six pupils in Soweto;
= further research and refinement of the AMQ and PMT-K
are necessary to develop possible reliable and valid
measures of achievement motivation in standards eight
and ten:= in-depth research is necessary with regard to the fear
of failure as one of the components of the nomological
network in which achievement motivation operates;
it appears that significant differences exist in the
achievement motivation of standard s.Lx pupils when some
biographical aspects are considered. These differences
should be taken into consideration in devising a guidance
programme for these children.