Impact of self-regulated learning intervention on motivation toward learning science subjects among NCE students in Katsina State, Nigeria

Abstract

Student motivation remains a persistent challenge in science education, particularly within Nigerian teacher education institutions, where passive instructional approaches continue to limit meaningful academic engagement. This study investigated the effect of a Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) intervention on motivation toward learning science subjects among NCE students in Katsina State, Nigeria. The study was guided by two objectives, two research questions, and two null hypotheses. A quasi-experimental design with a non-equivalent pretest-posttest control group structure was adopted, involving a purposively selected sample of 125 NCE science students drawn from two Colleges of Education in Katsina State. Data were collected using the Academic Motivation Scale (AMS), a 20-item instrument adapted from Vallerand et al. (1992) and grounded in Self-Determination Theory, with a reliability coefficient of r = 0.824. Research questions were analysed using mean, standard deviation, and mean difference, while hypotheses were tested using an independent samples t-test at the 0.05 significance level. Results revealed that the SRL intervention produced a statistically significant positive effect on students' motivation toward science learning, with the SRL group (M = 63.51) substantially outscoring the conventional group (M = 36.20), t(123) = 18.30, p < .05. No significant gender difference in motivation was observed within the SRL group, t(59) = 1.652, p = .104. It is recommended that SRL-based strategies be systematically integrated into NCE science curricula and that gender-responsive SRL frameworks be developed to sustain motivational gains across diverse sociocultural contexts.