Locus of Control Analysed with Regards to Non-Traditional Tertiary Students of Education

Josef Malach,Dana Vicherková,Tomáš Barot

doi:10.5817/sp2020-4-7

Abstract

Locus of control, as a psychological characteristic, influences the experience and behaviour of individuals in all life situations, including the moment when an adult enters university and becomes a non-traditional student. Research on the locus of control of students at a faculty preparing experts for educational professions (teachers of all levels, social and special pedagogues, and andragogues) was initiated due to the increasing failure rate of non-traditional students within university efforts to achieve quality in all teaching activities and the need to verify the assumption that most applicants with an internal locus of control (ILC) choose an educational profession requiring management of other people's learning. The Zemanová Dolejš Locus of Control Scale revealed a dominant ILC or external (ELC) localisation of the locus of control in all 411 tertiary students, 152 of whom were non-traditional students. Considering their distribution into ILC and ELC, statistically significant relationships were identified in locus of control according to the form of study. For non-traditional students, no statistically significant relationships were found for age or type or years of study for either ILC or ELC.

Highlights

Locus of control (LOC), as a psychological characteristic, influences the experience and behaviour of individuals in all life situations, including the moment when an adult enters university and becomes a non-traditional student
Dividing individuals into groups with an internal (ILC) or external (ELC) LOC retains many proponents because of its twodimensionality, which is efficient for research and practically more accessible to use than multidimensional approaches are
The LOC analysis for a specific subgroup of non-traditional tertiary students performed in this study yielded findings that are difficult to compare with the results of other research

Summary

Introduction

Locus of control (LOC), as a psychological characteristic, influences the experience and behaviour of individuals in all life situations, including the moment when an adult enters university and becomes a non-traditional student. Several empirical studies have been conducted to validate the tools and determine whether, or to what extent, an individual’s LOC is related to their professional, managerial, or academic success; experience of success or failure; life satisfaction; or health. Dividing individuals into groups with an internal (ILC) or external (ELC) LOC retains many proponents because of its twodimensionality, which is efficient for research and practically more accessible to use than multidimensional approaches are. These areas have increasingly become the subject of research interest mainly due to the proven relationship between students having an ILC and their achieving academic success and at the same time one between students having an ELC and their having difficulties throughout their studies. Little attention has been paid to ways to shape the perception of LOC, which cannot be considered a permanent trait but rather a result which is changeable by long-term education (in children) and targeted training and therapies and methods of teaching and communication between teachers and students (in students)

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