Academic Burnout as Correlate of Undergraduates Academic Achievement in Northwest Zone Nigeria

The study investigated academic burnout as a correlate of undergraduates’ academic achievement in the Northwest zone of Nigeria. Two research objectives and two research questions were raised and addressed, while one null hypothesis guided the study. A correlational research design was adopted. The population consisted of 50,046 third-year undergraduates enrolled in the 2021/2022 academic session. Using a multi-stage sampling technique, a total of 381 participants were selected based on the recommendation of Research Advisor (2006). Data were collected using two instruments: the Copenhagen Academic Burnout Scale (CABS) and the students’ Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA). The face and content validity of the instruments were established by experts, while construct validity was confirmed through discriminant validity procedures. Internal consistency reliability of the instrument was established using Cronbach’s alpha method. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson product-moment correlation, and multiple linear regression at a 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that the majority of the undergraduates (252 or 66%) experienced a low level of academic burnout. Furthermore, a significant negative relationship was found between academic burnout and academic achievement. Based on these findings, it was concluded that an increase in academic burnout leads to a decrease in academic achievement among undergraduates. The study recommended, among others, that psychologists and counselors should encourage students to develop intrinsic motivation for academic activities, and that universities should establish academic burnout management units as part of student support services.