Predicting Students’ Performance in Physics using Academic Self Concept and Locus of Control Scale Scores

Abstract

Predicting students’ performance in secondary school Physics using their Academic Self Concept and Locus of Control Scale Scores was the main thrust of this study. Three hypotheses were tested. The sample was made of two hundred  senior secondary school II Physics students (100 Boys and 100 girls, with mean age of 16.5years) randomly drawn from six public co-educational secondary schools in Irepodun Local government area of Kwara state. Data were collected by means of a Physics Performance test (PPT);  Academic self-concept scale (ASCS) and Locus of Control scale (LOCS). The PAT  was developed by the researcher and it was made of 40 multiple choice items with four options (r = 0.71); ASCS (α=0.85) and LOCS (α=0.77) were each made of 15-items on a 4 – point likert scale of Strongly Agree (SA), Agree (A), Disagree (D) and Strongly Disagree (SD) to which respondents were to indicate their degree of Agreement or otherwise to the 15-items on the scale. Findings revealed that Academic self-concept and Locus of control, when taken together, significantly predicted students’ performance in Physics (R² = 0.154, p< 0.05); academic self-concept alone also significantly predicted students’ performance in Physics (R² = 0.144, p< 0.05) however Locus of control did not significantly predict students’ performance in Physics (R² = 0.017, p> 0.05). These findings suggest that as against students’ Locus of control, academic self-concept is a potent factor to be taken into consideration when explaining physics students’ performance. 

Keywords: Predicting, achievement, physics, Academic self-concept, Locus of Control