RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TEACHER’S EMOTIONAL SUPPORT AND STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC MOTIVATION AT SECONDARY LEVEL IN KOHAT DISTRICT

Abstract

The present study examined the relationship between teachers’ emotional support and students’ academic motivation at the secondary school level in Kohat District. A sample of 373 students from grade 9 and grade 10 was selected using a stratified random sampling technique. Two self-developed instruments were employed: the Teacher Emotional Support Scale (TESS), comprising subscales of care, empathy, friendliness and positivity, responsiveness, respect, and encouragement and recognition; and the Student Academic Motivation Scale (SAMS), comprising intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, self-efficacy/confidence, goal orientation, and engagement/participation. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including mean and standard deviation, along with Pearson correlation to assess the relationship between the variables. The findings revealed a significant positive relationship (r = .573, p < .01) between teachers’ emotional support and students’ academic motivation, suggesting that greater emotional support from teachers is associated with higher student motivation. Subscale correlations further confirmed positive and significant associations between individual dimensions of teachers’ emotional support and overall academic motivation. The study provides useful implications for teachers, policymakers, and educational practitioners in strengthening supportive classroom environments, particularly in rural contexts.

Keywords: Teachers’ Emotional Support, Students’ Academic Motivation, Secondary Education