Locus of control and self-concept in achieving and underachieving bright elementary students

This study examined a group of academically bright fourth-grade children for positive relationships of academic achievement with locus of control and self-concept. Twenty achievers and nine underachievers received the Interllectual Achievement Responsibility Questionnaire (IAR) and the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale. Two-factor ANOVAs were used to examine the self-concept and locus of control scores, with sex and achievement serving as the two independent factors. The results showed that achievers had significantly higher self-concepts than underachievers on the intellectual and school status subscale. In addition, achievers had significantly higher internal locus of control scores than underachievers for the IAR total score and the IAR positive score. No sex differences were revealed for either self-concept or locus of control. Implications of these results are discussed briefly.     

The effect of individual goal-setting conferences on academic achievement and modification of locus of control orientation

The study was designed to investigate the effects of individual goal-setting conferences on classroom achievement and locus of control orientation. Subjects were blocked on sex and previous achievement and randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups: the goal-setting (GS) group, which received weekly individual goal-setting conferences; the conference (Cf) group, which received weekly individual conferences but set no goals; and the control (C) group, which received no conferences. Analyses of the data showed a significant treatment effect for achievement across treatment groups, with the GS group having significantly higher achievement than the Cf and C groups. Treatment effect across locus of control measures across treatment groups was less clear, although post hoc analyses indicated that the GS group was significantly more internal than either the Cf or C groups on the three intellectually oriented measures.     

Teacher ratings of internal and external students in open and traditional class environments

Eleven open and 11 traditional school teachers rated the achievement and behavior of students in their third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade classes. On both measures, girls were rated higher than boys and internals higher than externals. Sex interacted with school environment, such that girls' achievement ratings exceeded those of boys only in open classes. A predicted locus of control by environment interaction was not found for either achievement or behavior rankings. The relationship of these results to those found in studies using standardized achievement test data, rather than teacher ratings, is discussed.     

Locus of Control,Self‐Efficacy,and Motivation in Different Schools: Is moderation the key to success?

This study used a novel multidimensional locus of control instrument (I‐SEE) to investigate the relationship between locus of control, motivation, and academic achievement in three different types of school. The strengths of the I‐SEE are that it incorporates the construct of self‐efficacy and that it is embedded in a model of personality and action based on field‐theoretical conceptions. Further, it includes the role of the environment and personality in determining action. The results support a multidimensional conceptualisation of locus of control and the utility of the I‐SEE. There were statistically significant differences between schools for motivation and achievement and also a mediating effect between locus of control and school type, suggesting that interactional models are required in investigations of motivation and achievement. Furthermore, moderate levels of locus of control and self‐efficacy appear to be more adaptive than either extremely high or low levels.     

Diagnosis,Remediation, and Locus of Control

The influence of locus of control, diagnosis, and remediation on immediate and retained achievement and attitudes of middle school science students was the focus of this study. Subjects in the experiment were assessed for locus of control and experienced one of three treatments: no diagnosis or remediation; diagnosis with no remediation; or, diagnosis and remediation. Immediate achievement was measured at two points during the experiment, and retention was measured 30 days following the experiment. Diagnosis and remediation proved to be significantly effective in increasing retained achievement. Internal locus of control subjects out-scored external subjects in the areas of both immediate and retained achievement. Whites achieved higher than blacks in retention. Attitudes of all groups tended to be positive. These findings suggest that diagnostic or diagnostic and remedial instruction is an effective means of increasing the retention level of middle school students.     

Effect of instructional procedure and pupil locus of control on achievement and attitudes

The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of instructional procedures differing in degree of student control on achievement and attitudes of pupils identified as having an internal or external locus of control. Two sixth-grade classes (N=47) were divided into internal and external locus of control groups. Half of the internals and externals in each class were randomly assigned a structured instructional procedure and half assigned a contract procedure. A two-week unit on nutrition was taught to all students, using a structured or contract method. There were no significant differences in achievement among any of the groups. However, the internal-contract group seemed to show a more positive attitude toward the unit than did the other three groups. These results suggest that instructional procedure may not differentially affect achievement of internal and external sixth graders over a short period, but that attitudes toward instruction may be affected.     

Motivational and academic effects of cultural experiences for indigenous minority students in New Zealand

Children aged seven to 10 from the indigenous Maori minority group in New Zealand participated in a year-long cultural intervention designed to increase self-esteem and locus of control. The intervention incorporated good teaching practices linked to self-esteem and locus of control with principles of culturally relevant teaching. Compared to matched children who did not participate in the intervention, the focus children had significantly more positive self-esteem and locus of control after the intervention than before. Parallel changes were apparent in a measure of scholastic aptitude, but not on measures of reading, mathematics, and listening achievement. The results are discussed in terms of the importance and effectiveness of using theoretically informed teaching practices in a culturally relevant way in low income, mainstream school settings.     

The relationship of intelligence,self‐concept and locus of control to school achievement for Aboriginal and non‐Aboriginal Children

This research examines variables related to the school achievement of Aboriginal and non‐Aboriginal students. Thirty‐five indigenous students and fifty‐eight non‐Aboriginals in Grade eight completed a Coopersmith Self‐Esteem Inventory and the Intellectual Responsibility Questionnaire. These scores, together with information on intellectual ability, school achievement on teacher‐made English and mathematics tests, sex, school and ethnic origin, were entered in a multiple regression equation. No difference between the two groups emerged on scores of self‐esteem and locus of control. However, the predictors of achievement for each group differed significantly. Intellectual ability was the best predictor of achievement for non‐Aboriginals, while locus of control was the most important predictor for the indigenous group. Results are discussed in relation to recent research and classroom implications.     

Situational Referents of an Academic Setting and Locus of Control

The study was designed to answer the following questions: whether the various situational influences of the school environment were perceived differentially by the student with regard to his locus of control, and which situational influence was most related to the academic achievement of the student? These questions were answered by administering the Intellectual Achievement Responsibility Questionnaire and two achievement tests to 1192 sixth and seventh grade students. Results indicated that those referents which were most perceptually distinct were parents/ teachers, peer/others, and achievement situations in which the tasks or goals were well defined. Overall, the situational influences most related to achievement were those which referenced parents, parental interaction, or the home environment.     

Instructional strategy change and the attitude and achievement of seventh- and eighth-grade science students

This sequential methodologic elaboration study investigated differences between the middle school and the junior high instructional strategies and the effects on adolescent attitude toward science in school and science achievement. Subjects of the quantitative phase were 570 seventh- and eighth-grade students in one school in an urban school district in the midwest United States during a transition year from junior high to middle school. Germann's Attitude toward Science in School Assessment and the school district's Benchmark Exams were employed to measure student pre- and posttest attitude and achievement. Variations within grade level, gender, race, general ability, and socioeconomic group were evaluated. Results of split plots revealed no significant differences in science attitude between the experimental middle school group and the junior high control group at this phase. However, there was significant improvement in attitude in both seventh-grade populations, but no change in attitude in either eighth-grade population. No significant differences in attitude were found between males and females, Caucasian students and students of color, or students of different ability or socioeconomic groups. Significant increases in science achievement were revealed in the seventh-grade junior high control group, the eighth-grade middle school, and the eighth-grade junior high, but not in the seventh-grade middle school. No significant differences in achievement were found between males and females. Caucasians scored significantly higher in achievement than students of color. Average and high ability students scored significantly higher pretest to posttest, but low ability students did not. High ability students scored significantly higher than both average and low ability groups. There was significant improvement in science achievement for students in the sufficient socioeconomic status group, but not in the low socioeconomic status group. These results were discussed with the five science teachers, the principal, and a university consultant in the setting, who were the informants of the qualitative elaboration phase of the study. Ethnographic methods uncovered themes explaining differences and similarities within the two instructional strategies. Teachers' feelings and stages of concern were identified. The results are discussed in terms of effectively implementing changes in instructional strategies and assessing science achievement of early adolescents.     

Learning Style,Academic Belief Systems,Self-report Student Proficiency and Academic Achievement in Higher Education

Both learning style and academic belief systems have been identified as significant factors contributing to academic achievement. This paper evaluates the efficacy of teaching and learning in higher education by investigating the relationship between students assessment of their own academic proficiency (in this case Research Methods Proficiency [RMP]), learning style, academic locus of control, academic self-efficacy and academic achievement. First and second year undergraduate students' RMP was measured before and after completing modules in Research Methods. Students also completed measures of approaches to learning, academic self-efficacy and academic locus of control. Academic achievement (module mark) was also recorded. Results showed that perceived proficiency increased after completing the taught modules and that perceived proficiency was positively correlated with academic performance. Level 1 students, taught under the recently modified programme, reported significantly higher perceived proficiency than Level 2 students taught under the previous programme. Perceived proficiency was positively correlated with a strategic learning approach and negatively correlated with a surface learning approach and external locus of control beliefs. Academic achievement was also positively correlated with a strategic learning approach and negatively correlated with an apathetic learning approach. A deep learning approach failed to be associated with either RMP or academic achievement. It is suggested that: (i) these findings confirm, to some degree, the suggestion that there is an emphasis in later education on performance rather than learning (Lyddy, 1998); and (ii) perceived proficiency is a useful evaluation measure and is likely to contribute to effective and productive teaching and learning within higher education.     

Perceived contingency of teacher administered reinforcements and academic performance of boys

To determine the relationships among perceived contingency of teacher administered reinforcements, locus of control, and academic achievement, 49 sixth-grade boys were studied. In general, subjects who perceived their teachers as contingently punitive to boys were internal in locus of control and performed well on measures of academic achievement. An internal locus of control was also predictive of academic achievement. Perceived contingency of teacher rewards was not related to locus of control or academic achievement. These results were discussed as supporting the identity of learned helplessness and locus of control and the Seligman, Maier, and Solomon (1971) theory of learned helplessness.     

Project Proficiency: Assessing the Independent Effects of High School Reform in an Urban District

ABSTRACT.

The authors sought to determine if an urban school district's effort to fundamentally change teaching, assessment, and intervention practices increased student achievement and decreased achievement variation among classrooms in 11 high schools. They examined Grade 11 mathematics achievement data from the 2009–2010 and 2010–2011 Kentucky Core Content Test. The sample consisted of 2,451 students in 11 high schools that implemented an initiative called Project Proficiency. The study used hierarchical linear modeling to determine if changes in instructional practices yielded academic gains, while controlling for individual and school socioeconomic status (SES) and prior student achievement. The analysis revealed that Project Proficiency had a significant impact on state mathematics achievement and reduced classroom variation by 55% in the final model, as opposed to 16% in the control group. Results also indicated that a school's SES had a greater influence on student achievement than an individual student's SES.     

The Relationship of Locus of Control and Metacognitive Knowledge of Math with Math Achievements

The purpose of the research was to examine the correlation between locus of control and metacognitive knowledge in math and math achievement among students with learning disabilities. We examined 30 eighth grade pupils with learning disabilities and 30 other pupils all of whom studied in a heterogeneous class in a public school in order to better understand the extent to which the variables: metacognitive knowledge, locus of control and achievement in math differed in the two populations. The pupils answered three questionnaires: the first was designed to study the locus of control, the second, to investigate metacognitive knowledge and the third, to measure math achievement. The findings of this study indicate that the higher the level of the internal locus of control, the higher the use of metacognitive knowledge. Furthermore, higher levels of internal locus of control and higher use of metacognitive knowledge resulted in increased math achievement.     

The effects of instructional organization and locus of control orientation on meaningful learning in high school biology students

This study investigated the effects on meaningful learning achievement of concept-related instructional organization and locus of control orientation. Two five-week instructional treatments were developed, one which explicitly stressed concept relationships and one which did not. Five hundred and forty-one subjects at six Indiana high schools were involved in the study. Analyses of covariance of posttest and six-week retention test scores with treatment as the independent variable showed no significant treatment effect. Analyses of variance of test scores with locus of control orientation as the independent variable resulted in highly statistically significant differences. Subjects with an internal locus of control orientation achieved more than externally oriented subjects. A two-way analysis of covariance by treatment and locus of control orientation resulted in a statistically significant treatment/locus of control interaction effect for retention test scores. Externally oriented subjects who were exposed to the concept-related treatment generally retained more than those in the comparison group. Internally oriented subjects retained about the same amount of information regardless of treatment group. When the male and female subjects were analyzed separately, the interaction effect appeared greater for females than for males.     

Teachers’ Expectancy and Efficacy as Correlates of School Achievement in Delta, Mississippi

This study explored the relationship between school achievement levels and teachers’ expectations, locus of control and efficacy in four elementary schools in Delta, Mississippi in keeping with the self-fulfilling prophecy theory. Data from surveys of 102 teachers, five focus groups, observations, and secondary information on teachers’ grading pattern were used. Analyses using t-tests and multiple linear regressions revealed that teachers in high achieving schools tended to exhibit an internal locus of control and base their expectancies on students’ abilities rather than personal characteristics. School achievement level was found to be the only significant predictor indicating that high achieving schools had a culture of higher expectations that affected teachers’ perceptions, motivations, and grading pattern. These findings are substantiated by qualitative assessments.     

Cooperative-competitive social orientation and school achievement among Anglo-American and Mexican-American children

Researchers have suggested that the relatively poor academic performance of Mexican-American compared to Anglo-American children may result from cultural differences in cooperative-competitive social orientation. To test the relative contribution of cooperative-competitive social orientation as a personality predictor of school achievement, the cooperativeness-competitiveness, field independence, locus of control, self-esteem, and school achievement of 45 Anglo-American and 125 Mexican-American fourth, fifth, and sixth grade children were assessed. The results indicate (1) competitiveness is positively related to school achievement among the Anglo-American children but not the Mexican-American children; (2) among the Anglo-American children competitiveness is a better predictor of school achievement than field independence, locus of control, and self-esteem; (3) the personality variables are moderately but not independently related to school achievement within both cultural groups; and (4) the between-culture variance in the personality variables does not account for the between-culture variance in school achievement. Implications of the present results for understanding within- and between-group differences in school achievement are discussed.     

Effects of learning approaches,locus of control,socio-economic status and self-efficacy on academic achievement: a Turkish perspective

In this study the effects of learning approaches, locus of control (LOC), socio-economic status and self-efficacy on undergraduate students in North Cyprus was investigated. Four questionnaires were administered on 99 students in order to collect data regarding the learning approaches, LOC, self-efficacy and demographic factors. High cumulative grade point average and self-efficacy were shown to be an indicator of academic achievement and high self-efficacy was related to the use of deep approach (DA). Students, whose mothers had lower levels of education, were found to also predict academic success. No direct significant relationship between DA and academic achievement was found.     

Generalizability of diagnostic-prescriptive teaching strategies across student locus of control and multiple instructional units

The influence of locus of control and diagnostic testing with prescribed remediation on immediate and retained science achievement was the focus of the study. To test the generalizability of the results across instructional units and to check on the existence of a treatment warm-up period, the experiment was conducted across three biology units. The results supported the existence of the warm-up period with no significant effects of diagnosis and remediation during the first unit. On later units and on the retention measure, the experimental subjects achieved significantly more than the control. No locus of control X treatment interactions were found; although, in one unit, the internal locus of control subjects achieved significantly higher than externals.