Browsing by Author "Kinoti, Vivian Kathambi"

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    Locus of Control and Self-Efficacy as Predictors of Academic Achievement among Form Four Students in Selected Secondary Schools in Meru County, Kenya
    (2025-08) Kinoti, Vivian Kathambi
    Academic achievement among Kenyan secondary school students is emphasized because it impacts students' personal and national development. However, low academic achievement has been an issue of concern. Despite the efforts made, this problem has continued to persist.This research aimed at exploring how psychological constructs, namely: Locus of Control (LOC) and Self Efficacy (SE), predict academic achievement among Form Four students in selected secondary schools in Meru County. The study objectives were: a) to ascertain whether there is a relationship between LOC and academic achievement of form four students in Meru County; b) to establish if there is a correlation between SE and students’ academic achievement; c) to determine the interaction effect of LOC and SE on predicting students’ academic achievement. The study was guided by the social learning theory by Bandura and the correlational research design was employed. The target population was 1435 Form Four students in 36 secondary schools. Stratified random sampling technique was used to select four secondary schools in Buuri Sub-County of Meru County. A total of 459 Form Four students were chosen through simple random sampling. Data were collected using SE scale developed by Chen et al. (2001) and LOC scale developed by Craig et al. (1984). A pilot study was conducted among 39 students to establish the validity and reliability of the research instruments. The instrument yielded a Cronbach's Alpha reliability coefficient of .86 for LOC scale and .82 for SE scale. Scores on academic achievement were obtained through document analysis by computing mean scores from three consecutive end-of-term examination grades for the year 2022. Quantitative data was analysed via descriptive statistics and inferential statistics through Pearson product moment correlation coefficient and multiple regression to establish relationships between variables at .05 alpha levels. Analyses were done using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 29. The study revealed that there exists a weak, positive and significant correlation between students' external LOC and their academic achievement, r (397) = .38, p < .05. There is a strong, positive and significant correlation between students' internal LOC and their academic achievement, r (43) = .68, p < .05. Hence the results indicate that students’ academic achievement increases as both internal LOC and external locus of control increases. Further, there was a moderate positive and significant relationship between students’ SE and their academic achievement , r (440) = .47, p < .05. Thus, students with high levels of self-efficacy were found to perform better academically as compared to students with low levels self-efficacy. The findings further showed that jointly, LOC and SE positively and significantly predicted students’ academic achievement, F (3, 436) = 114.83, p < .05. The study concludes that psychological constructs; LOC and SE should be enhanced by setting clear, achievable academic goals to enable students to take charge of their educational journeys. The study recommends that teachers and parents should reinforce learners to enhance their LOC and SE to enhance their academic success. Further recommendation is for policymakers and curriculum developers to establish frameworks that promote LOC and supportive environments, empowering students to enhance their SE for better academic achievement.