Motivation as a Differential Factor in the Effect of Student Teams-Achievement Divisions on Accounting Performance among Form Three Learners in Kajiado County, Kenya
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.47941/jep.3744Keywords:
Accounting Achievement, Cooperative Learning, Differential Factors, Motivation, STAD StrategyAbstract
Purpose: This study examined the effect of Student Teams-Achievement Division (STAD) instructional strategy on learning outcomes in the accounting component of Business Studies and the extent to which motivation acts as a differential factor influencing performance among Form Three learners in Kajiado County.
Methodology: A quasi-experimental research design based on Solomon’s four-group design was adopted, involving two instructional conditions: STAD strategy and conventional teaching methods. The study targeted 220 Form Three Business Studies learners from four mixed-gender secondary schools in Kajiado County, Kenya, as well as six teachers drawn from the same schools who taught the participating learners. A total of 211 learners participated, representing a response rate of 95.91%, while all six teachers partook, yielding a 100% response rate. The learners were randomly assigned to four groups, comprising two experimental groups (114 learners) taught using the STAD strategy and two control groups (97 learners) taught using conventional methods. Data were collected using Accounting Achievement Tests. Quantitative data were analysed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), independent samples t-tests and two-way ANOVA, while qualitative data were analysed thematically.
Findings: Learners taught using the STAD strategy attained higher accounting scores than those taught conventionally. Motivation was also found to influence achievement significantly, improving from a pre-test mean of 2.74/5 to 3.82/5 and explaining 8% of the variance, with highly motivated learners benefiting most from the STAD strategy.
Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: This study extends cooperative learning theory by establishing the effectiveness of the STAD strategy in enhancing learners’ achievement in accounting within secondary school contexts. It provides practical insights for teachers of Business Studies on integrating learner-centred, motivation-enhancing instructional approaches to improve academic performance. The study further informs education policy by supporting the adoption of cooperative learning strategies in Business Studies instruction and teacher education programmes.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Emmanuel Munyao Mailo, Prof. Samson Ondigi PhD., Priscilla Ndegwa, Ph.D., Mary Nasibi, Ph.D.
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