LOCUS OF CONTROL AND SELF-EFFICACY AS PREDICTOR OF SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS' ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN CHEMISTRY IN IFE CENTRAL LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, OSUN STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

The study investigated the influence of locus of control and self
efficacy on senior secondary school students' academic
achievement in Chemistry in Ife Central Local Government Area,
Osun State. The study adopted a descriptive survey research
design of correlation type. The population for this study consisted
of Senior Secondary School (SSS) 2 Chemistry students in Ife
Central Local Government area, Osun State. A sample of 100 SSS
2 Chemistry students was used for the study. A multi-stage
sampling procedure was adopted for this study. In the first stage,
the stratified sampling technique was adopted where Schools are
grouped into public and private categories. The second stage was
a random sampling technique where ten secondary schools were
randomly selected. At the last stage, systematic sampling
technique was used in the selected schools where 50 boys and 50
girls were systematically chosen to ensure a representative
sample. Two research instruments tagged “Locus of Control and
Self-Efficacy Questionnaire'' (LCSQ) and “Chemistry
Achievement Test'' (CAT) were used to collect data for the study.
Data collected after the administration of the instruments were
analyzed using frequency, percentage, Pearson Product Moment
Correlation (PPMC) and regression analysis statistical tools.
Results of the study showed that there was a significant
relationship between locus of control and senior secondary school
students' academic achievement in Chemistry (r=0.785; p<0.05).
Results of the study also revealed that there was a significant relationship between self-efficacy and senior secondary school
students' academic achievement in Chemistry in Ife Central Local
Government Area, Osun State (r = 0.815; p < 0.05). Results of the
study further showed that there was a significant influence of locus
of control and self-efficacy on senior secondary school students'
academic achievement in Chemistry in the study area (F = 5.515;
p<0.05). The study concluded that there was a significant
influence of locus of control and self-efficacy on senior secondary
school students' academic achievement in Chemistry in the study
area.