The Relationship Between Cognitive Dissonance and Academic Achievement in STEM versus Regular Schools in Lusaka, Zambia

Abstract

This paper sought to determine the relationship between cognitive dissonance and academic performance. Cognitive dissonance is indispensable in the school setting because not all learners like or excel in all academic subjects or pursue subjects that align with their intended careers. These conflicts often result in an increased level of cognitive dissonance, which hinders learning. Therefore, management of cognitive dissonance is key to improving academic performance. However, research on the relationship between cognitive dissonance and academic performance is limited. This study employed a cross-sectional survey design, comprising a sample of 200 randomly selected pupils from two secondary schools in Lusaka District. Data collection instruments included cognitive dissonance subscales and class-administered quizzes. Five out of eight measures of cognitive dissonance correlated negatively with academic performance. Results revealed a consistent pattern of negative associations between cognitive dissonance and academic achievement across domains. Overall, the Regular school group reported marginally elevated mean dissonance scores compared to the STEM school group. Following stratification of results by school type, Fisher's Z-tests indicated largely comparable effects of cognitive dissonance on achievement, with only six inter-group correlation differences reaching statistical significance. It is noteworthy that school-related dissonance more strongly affects perceived choice in Regular schools than in STEM schools. This is mainly because perceived choice is a critical psychological resource that protects students from the negative effects of school stress. Drawing on Festinger's (1957) theory of cognitive dissonance, these findings reveal that dissonance generally varies uniformly as a function of learning context; it also has a significant influence on academic achievement. In conclusion, these findings have significant implications for both research and practice.