Difference in gender locus of control and academic performance of senior secondary students in Minna educational zone, Nigeria

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Published Jun 6, 2024
https://doi.org/10.47434/JEREDA.5.2.2024.171
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Vol. 5 No. 2 (2024)

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Mohammed Ibrahim Baji
Department of Counselling Psychology, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, Nigeria
Abdullahi Ahmed Barkuta
Niger State Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, Minna Government Day Secondary School, Beji, Nigeria

Abstract

Introduction: Locus of control influences students’ academic performance, which makes them believe that they have little control over their academic outcomes, low expectations for success, and display low motivation to succeed. The differences that exist between locus of control and gender (male and female) constitute a direction that requires examination through research work.


Purpose: This study investigated gender difference in locus of control and academic performance of senior secondary students in Minna Educational Zone, Niger State.


Methodology: The study employed survey research design on 4,160 students’ population with a sample of three hundred and fifty-four (354) students. The Locus of Control Scale (LCS) and students’ promotion examination scores were used as instruments for data collection. The data collected were analyzed using mean, standard deviation, and t-test independent sample.


Results: The result of the study revealed that there were significant differences in academic performances of male and female students based on their internal and external locus of control.


Conclusion: The study concluded that the academic performance of male and female senior secondary students in Minna Educational Zone differed based on their locus of control.


Recommendations: School psychologists and counsellors should encourage teachers, parents, and other stakeholders in education to focus on modifying students’ locus of control through workshops, seminars, and setting of realistic goals to build their locus of control in order to improve their academic performance.

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Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite
Baji, M. I., & Barkuta, A. A. (2024). Difference in gender locus of control and academic performance of senior secondary students in Minna educational zone, Nigeria. Journal of Educational Research in Developing Areas, 5(2), 171-180. https://doi.org/10.47434/JEREDA.5.2.2024.171
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