Relationship Between Psychological Capital and Academic Achievement among form Three Students in Imenti South Sub-County, Meru County

Abstract

Academic achievement in Kenya is a critical driver to both national development and individual student’s career growth. Despite this crucial role, students in Imenti South Sub-County, Meru County, have continued to register comparatively low academic performance. This persistent underachievement limits their access to socio-economic opportunities which adversely affects their contributions to national development. Previous studies have underscored the significant role of learners’ internal capacities, particularly psychological capital (PsyCap), in managing academic demands and enhancing positive academic outcomes, including higher grades. However, empirical evidence linking PsyCap to academic achievement in Meru County remains limited. Therefore, the present study sought to address this gap by examining the relationship between psychological capital and academic achievement. The study was grounded on psychological capital theory. This association was examined using correlational research design, with 2,692 Form Three students enrolled in public secondary schools in Imenti South Sub-County, Meru County, in 2025 being the target. To assess the psychological capital, School Psychological Capital Questionnaire was used. The sample comprised 348 students selected from 17 schools through a combination of purposive, stratified and simple random sampling. The results established that the global psychological capital levels were relatively high among students (M = 56.87, SD = 11.63), with notable variation across its components. Optimism recorded the highest mean (M = 16.52, SD = 2.70), followed by resilience (M = 16.03, SD = 2.16), while self-efficacy had the lowest, though still elevated, mean (M = 15.20, SD = 2.65). The PsyCAP had a significant positive correlation with academic achievement (r (345) = .58, p < .01). These results suggest that higher levels of psychological capital are associated with better academic performance among the students. Therefore, schools should prioritize enhancing students’ psychological capital by integrating activities that strengthen hope, optimism, resilience, and self-efficacy, as these resources are strongly linked to higher academic achievement.