Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of teachers’ goal orientation and gender on students’ achievement and motivation in organic chemistry. The study adopted the survey research design of the correlational type. The sample comprised 15 chemistry teachers and 300 students from 13 randomly selected schools from 2 local government areas in Osun state. Data were collected using well-validated and reliable instruments and were analyzed using descriptive statistics (frequency counts, mean, standard deviation and percentage) and inferential statistics (Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation (PPMC) & T-Test). Results showed that students’ achievement levels in organic chemistry were poor ( =10.75±6.64). Also, the teachers’ goal orientation level was considerably high ( =3.38 ≥ 2.50 std. mean). More teachers were found to be mastery-oriented (67%) than performance-oriented (33%). There was no significant influence of teachers’ goal orientation on students’ achievement (r = 0.20; p>0.05) and students’ achievement in organic chemistry is not determined by teachers’ gender (t = 0.90; p>0.05). Chemistry teachers should reflect more on their teaching and adopt interest-enhancing teaching methods as well as learning tasks that address learners’ needs in organic chemistry. Furthermore, it has become imperative to call for the sensitization of the female gender to embrace the teaching and learning of science, especially chemistry.