This study of 118 students who placed into basic skills sections of College English suggests that students' self-beliefs may be a particularly important predictor of success in weak writers in first-semester courses. Two types of writing self-efficacy scales--a writing tasks/skills scale and an approach-to-writing scale--were developed to follow…

The 1986 internal/external frame of reference model of H. W. Marsh was tested using self-concept and self-efficacy responses of 410 Australian fifth grade students. Support for the model was found only for self-concept responses. Results are discussed in relation to academic self-concept. (SLD)

The subjects consisted of high and average ability high school students. Half selected their own task and half were assigned to a task based on their scores on Rotters's locus of control scale. Across all subjects, ability was found to be the only significant predictor of recall. (Author/BW)

To evaluate the effects of conversational noise on the comprehension/retention of 2000-word text excerpts, two groups were randomly formed. Group I (n=20) studied under noise conditions and Group 2 (n=24) studied under nonnoise conditions. Overall ANCOVAs indicated no significant differences between groups but identifiable subgroups showed…

The development of locus of control was compared in rural Appalachian Follow Through participants and in lower and middle-class comparison groups. Participation in Follow Through did not enhance internality. A social class by sex interaction was found, and correlations between locus of control and achievement differed for social classes.…

The relationships among cooperation-competition, perceptions of locus of control in social situations, and locus of control in intellectual-academic situations were compared among fourth- and fifth-graders in traditional and open classrooms. Open education children were more cooperative, and traditional students displayed higher internality for…

The causal attributions of 184 teachers from metropolitan school districts were found to vary with positive versus negative learning outcomes in terms of both internality/externality and stability of cause. Relations to overall efficacy, teaching experience, grade level taught, and teacher gender were explored; only grade level differences were…

Relationships among locus of control, academic program, and sex of 267 ninth-graders were studied. As hypothesized, students in the advanced level program were more internally controlled than were general or basic level students. Although locus of control was related to academic level, its relationship to gender was not consistent. (SLD)

The relative influence of cooperative-competitive social orientation on school achievement for Anglo-American and Mexican-American children was assessed. The importance of competitiveness for Anglo-American children and the moderate relationship of other personality variables to achievement in both groups is shown. (Author/CM)

A longitudinal study of first graders found that children had a more internal locus of control, were more optimistic, and scored higher on an effectance motivation measure at the end of first grade than at the beginning but attitudes and self-esteem did not change. Some changes were effected by SES and academic success. (AtuhorRD)

Achievement and locus of control data were gathered the first week of first grade, and seven months later, for middle- and lower-socioeconomic status (SES) children. While middle-SES children experienced greater achievement gains, lower-SES students increased in internal control. Results suggested that internal control contributed to achievement.…