Locus of Control and Achievement of Nigerian School-Age Children

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Abstract
To investigate the relationship between locus of control and academic achievement and motivation of school-age children of Nigeria, the short form of Nowicki-Strickland Personal Reaction Survey was administered to 180 Nigerian children ranging in age from 9 to 13. Their motivation was assessed by teacher's ratings. Grades received in mathematics and reading/language were used as a measure of academic achievement. Findings indicated that internality was significantly related to academic achievement, but not to motivation. Results of a 2 (sex) × 4 (grade scores) analysis of variance indicate that the students who received higher grades perceived themselves as more internally oriented. No sex differences were found for any of the three measures used. Results support the conclusion that the relationship between academic achievement and locus of control are comparable cross-culturally.