Investigating the Relationship Between Interest and Academic Achievement in Introductory Analysis Among Undergraduate Students.

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between undergraduate students’ interest and their academic achievement in Introductory Analysis at a Ghanaian university. While analytical reasoning is a foundational skill for pre-service teachers, many students approach proof-based mathematics courses with significant apprehension and cognitive overload. Employing a descriptive survey design, data were collected from 314 Level 200 undergraduate students using a validated 5-item interest questionnaire and a 30-item multiple-choice achievement test. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and Spearman’s rank-order correlation. The results revealed that students possessed a moderately high interest in the course (M = 3.81, SD = 0.73) but achieved only moderate academic performance (M = 59.5%, SD = 5.11). Crucially, the study found no statistically significant correlation between students’ interest and their academic achievement (ρ = -.060, p = .288). This counter-intuitive finding challenges the prevailing assumption that high interest automatically yields high achievement. Drawing on Bandura’s theory of self-efficacy and Skemp’s framework of relational understanding, the study concludes that in cognitively demanding, proof-based courses, affective interest remains inert without foundational logical skills. The study recommends that university mathematics educators supplement interest-fostering strategies with explicit metacognitive training, scaffolded mastery experiences, and utility-value interventions to bridge the gap between affective engagement and measurable academic success.