The objective of this study consists in clarifying what correlations are represented among learners' loci of control, learning attitudes and achievement in elementary school, what differences of loci of control by attribution factor and by sex, and wh...
The objective of this study consists in clarifying what correlations are represented among learners' loci of control, learning attitudes and achievement in elementary school, what differences of loci of control by attribution factor and by sex, and what differences of learning by sex.
For that purpose, hypotheses were established based on the theoretical backgrounds and findings of preceding studies, as follows:
Hypothesis Ⅰ : There will be differences of loci of control by attribution factor.
Hypothesis Ⅱ : There will be differences of achievement by locus of control.
Hypothesis Ⅲ : There will be differences of learning attitudes by sex.
Hypothesis Ⅳ : There will be differences of achievement by learning attitude.
In order for these hypotheses to be tested, randomly sampled out from 8 elementary sixth grade classes were 386 children, on whom loci of control and learning attitudes were tested. Mean values between those carried out at the beginning of the first semester and those in the second semester in achievement were utilized for this study. The hypothesis test methodology had recourse to t-test. The resultant findings were revealed, as follows :
1. Hypothesis Ⅰ was partially attested.
For test scores by attribution factor, the mean value of the effort factor indicated 21.17, that of the ability factor 9.80, that of difficulty in assignment 6.21, and that of the luck factor 2.87. However, no statistically significant differences were found by sex in the scores by attribution factor.
2. Hypothesis Ⅱ was also partially attested.
Achievement in the higher level of loci of control in the luck factor (M=60.84) showed a low value than that in the lower level of loci of control in the luck factor (M=65.53). The difference were identified to be statistically significant [t(384)=2.22, p<.05].
3. Hypothesis Ⅲ was also partially attested.
For the scores of learning attitudes, boys (M=11.16) reflected a higher value than girls (M=10.44), which is proved to be statistically significant [t(384)=2.31, p<.05].
4. Hypothesis Ⅳ was also partially attested.
Achievement on the higher level of learning attitudes (M=69.58) was higher than that on the lower level of learning attitudes (M=55.73). The difference was proved to be statistically significant[t(384)=7.04, P<.01].
On the basis of the aforementioned findings, conclusions were made, as follows :
First, elementary school children depended very largely upon loci of control in the effort factor but no significant difference were found of loci of control by sex.
Second, the higher achievement level a child is on, the less he/she is attributed to the luck factor.
Third, Boys showed a higher value than girls in learning attitudes towards the mathematics course.
Fourth, The higher the level of learning attitudes, the higher that of achievement.
In the present study the distribution of loci of control was not diversified. It is desired that many follow-up studies would be conducted on achievement with diversified loci of control and on loci of control by sex. Furthermore, it is also suggested that further follow-up studies are recommended to be carried out in relation to other courses than mathematics, on learning attitudes.