Locus of Control and Test Anxiety as Correlates of Performance in Physics among Form Two and Three Students in Laikipia County, Kenya.
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Date
2021
Authors
Muthoni, Ng’ang’a Bilhah
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Kenyatta University
Abstract
The research issue addressed by this study was below average performance in physics in Laikipia County. The aim of this research was to examine locus of control and test anxiety as predictors of students’ physics performance in public secondary schools in Laikipia County. The study was based on arousal performance theory and Locus of Control Theory. The study employed correlational research design targeting all the 22,091 students and 134 physics teachers in the 84 public secondary schools in Laikipia County. From the 84 public secondary schools in Laikipia County, 20 schools were sampled to take part in the study. From the 20 schools, 400 students from Forms Two and Three were proportionately sampled. Purposive sampling method was used to select one Physics teacher per school. The respondents for the study were therefore 400 students and 20 teachers which made a total sample of 420 respondents. Adapted locus of control and test anxiety questionnaires and interview guides were used to collect information. Piloting study was carried out in three schools using a sample of 30 students to test the validity and reliability of the research instruments. The study collected both quantitative and qualitative data. Inferential and descriptive statistics were used to analyse quantitative data. The statistics used include frequency counts, means, percentages, Pearson correlation analysis, ANOVA and the t-test. Qualitative data were thematically analysed as per the research questions. The findings revealed that there was a negative correlation between locus of control and physics performance ( rpb (400) = -.013, p = .79). The correlation was not statistically significant. Qualitative data obtained from the physics teachers showed that most of the students relied on external locus of control to perform well in physics. Regarding the association between test anxiety and physics performance, it was found that the two variables had significant negative correlation, r (400) = -.148, p < 0.05. Qualitative data showed that nearly half of the students scored low marks in physics because of test anxiety. It was established that the mean difference in locus of control scores between male and female respondents was not statistically significant (t (398) = - 1.13, p > .05). There was a significant mean difference in test anxiety scores between male and female respondents, t (398) = - 4.25, p < .00. The mean score difference in physics performance between male and female respondents was statistically significant, t (398) = 2.33, p = .020. The findings indicated that the differences in the mean scores of locus of control across the school categories were not statistically significant, F (2, 397) = 2.38, P > .05. It was also established that the mean differences in test anxiety scores across the school types were statistically significant, F (2, 397) = 2.25, p < .05. The mean difference in physics performance across the three categories of schools was significant, F (2, 397) = 33.78, p = .00. Based on the findings, policy makers should develop learning resources to train students on how to develop internal locus orientation to enhance physics performance. Parents, teachers and other stakeholders should constantly assist the students so that they can build confidence in their academic abilities and examination preparation strategies to reduce test anxiety. Policy makers and all other stakeholders in the education sector should come up with training and support programs to help students develop internal locus of control and reduce test anxiety levels.
Description
A Research Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of The Requirements for The Degree of Master of Education in the Department of Educational Psychology, Kenyatta University April, 2021.
Keywords
Locus, Control, Test, Anxiety, Correlates, Performance, Physics, Form, Two, Three, Students, Laikipia, County, Kenya