Relationships of Locus of Control to Self‐esteem, Academic Achievement, and Prediction of Performance Among Nigerian Secondary School Pupils

Abstract

The purpose of this study was: (a) to investigate the effects of socioeconomic background, locus of control, intelligence, and self-esteem on academic achievement of Nigerian secondary school pupils; (6) and to examine the relationships of locus of control to socioeconomic background, intelligence, self-esteem, academic achievement and prediction of academic performance. Eighty secondary school boys completed the Socio-economic Background Questionnaire, the Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices, the Brookover Scale of Self-concept of Academic Ability, and provided estimates of prediction of their own academic performance. The analyses of data revealed that : (a) all the four independent variables (socioeconomic background, locus of control, intelligence, self-esteem) had significant positive effects on academic achievement; (b) internality significantly positively correlated with intelligence, selfesteem and academic achievement; (c) the internals were significantly more accurate predictors of their own academic performance than the externals. 215

On the relationship between locus of control, level of ability and gender

“…This finding contradicts the notion that high internal locus of control is associated with high ability (e.g. Willey, 1978;Brown, 1980;Maqsud, 1983;McLaughlin & Saccuzzo, 1997). The finding is, however, in line with the findings of Nowicki and Duke (1983).…”

“…High internal locus of control is associated with high intelligence (e.g. Brown, 1980;Maqsud, 1983;Willey, 1978). In their study of fifth to seventh graders, McLaughlin and Saccuzzo (1997) found a more internal locus of control in gifted children.…”

Stereotype threat: the moderating role of Locus of Control beliefs

“…Individuals with Internal Locus of Control attribute the cause of events in their lives to their own actions whereas individuals with External Locus of Control assume these events to be determined by external forces. Various researchers have shown a significant relation between Locus of Control and academic achievement: students with Internal Locus of Control tend to have better grades and receive higher achievement-test scores than External Locus of Control students (Johnson & Kanoy, 1980;Kennelly & Mount, 1985;Maqsud, 1983;Stipek & Weisz, 1981). Skinner and colleagues (Chapman, Skinner, & Baltes, 1990;Skinner, Chapman, & Baltes, 1988a, 1988bSkinner, Wellborn, & Connell, 1990) have proposed that a key component in students' beliefs about Locus of Control is their level of motivation in academic tasks.…”

It's Who You Are, Not What You Do That Makes A Difference

“…to enable the pupil to take responsibility for his/her own learning. Maqsud (1983) demonstrates that this is a significant factor in academic achievement. It should enable pupils to experience autonomy in the way they lived their lives and in the way they learned.…”