EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF FUTURE ORIENTATION ON STUDENTS’ MOTIVATION AND INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37231/apj.2025.8.SI1.813Abstract
Past research suggests that students with a stronger future orientation (FO) are more successful because they can regulate their goals and become more confident in achieving them. However, there is a lack of research exploring how FO affects students’ communication skills in expressing their thoughts and feelings, particularly in discussing their motivation to attend school through interpersonal communication. This study explores the similarities and differences between high achievers and at-risk students—often characterized as students who may likely to drop out from school—focusing on their interpersonal communication skills regarding their motivation to attend school. This qualitative research involved two focus groups, each comprising five students identified by school management from a rural public school in northern Malaysia. One group consisted of high achievers, while the other included at-risk students. Data were collected through transcribed interviews and researcher observations and then analysed thematically to identify key differences. The emerging themes were twofold: First, similarities were found in both groups, with students indicating that peer and sibling support motivated them. Second, differences were noted in the spectrum of self-expression and self-esteem in the context of interpersonal communication skills between the two groups. The underlying factor explaining these differences may be related to FO, with high-achieving students exhibiting a higher FO compared to at-risk students. This research extends previous studies by linking FO theory to students’ interpersonal communication skills in discussing their motivation to stay in school.
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