ASSIGNMENT SUBMISSION AND ASSESSMENT

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HMEF5043_V2
EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
JANUARY SEMESTER 2018
ASSIGNMENT
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INSTRUCTIONS TO STUDENTS

1. This assignment contains question that is set in English.

2. Answer in English.

3. Learners are to submit assignment only in MsWord(.docx) format unless specified otherwise.
Please refrain from converting text / phrases into picture format such as .gif / .jpeg / print screen
/ etc.

4. Download the language version of the assignment template concerned from the myINSPIRE for
preparation and submission of your assignment. Your assignment should be typed using 12 point
Times New Roman font and 1.5 line spacing.

5. Your assignment should be between 3000 to 5000 words excluding references. The number of
words should be shown at the end of your assignment. Do not copy the assignment question
and instructions to your answer.

6. Submission of assignment:

 Face-to-face Class Student:

You MUST submit a softcopy of your assignment online through myINSPIRE and a hardcopy
to your facilitator.

 Online student:
You MUST submit a softcopy of your assignment via myINSPIRE and another softcopy to the
facilitator via e-mail.

7. You can submit your assignment ONCE only in a SINGLE file.

8. Your assignment must be submitted between 9th – 11th March 2018.

9. Your assignment should be prepared individually. You should not copy another person’s
assignment. You should also not plagiarise another person’s work as your own.

10. Please ensure that you keep the RECEIPT issued upon submisson of your assignment as proof of
submission. Your assignment is considered as NOT submitted if you fail to produce the
submission receipt in any dispute arises concerning assignment submission.
EVALUATION

This assignment accounts for 60% of the total marks for the course.

You would be given feedback on the assignment before the Final Semester Examination commences.

PLAGIARISM: MARKS DEDUCTION

Warning: The submitted assignment will automatically undergo a similarity check. If plagiarism is
detected, marks would be deducted as follows:

No. % Similarity Group % of Mark Deduction

1 0 – 30 0
2 30.01 – 50 5
3 50.01 – 70 10
4 70.01 – 100 100
 ASSIGNMENT QUESTION

PURPOSE:

The aim of this assignment is to help you to understand the importance of locus of control as a
factor that can account for individual differences in learning. The assignment also provides an
opportunity for you to determine students’ locus of control and to design activities suitable for the
identified type of locus of control.

PART A (40%)

Review 2 - 3 journal articles or academic writing on locus of control and its implication on students’
academic achievement. Based on the article read, write in your own words, an article in about 6 - 7
pages that addresses the following:

 Definitions of locus of control

 Characteristics of students with the specified locus of control
 Relationship between students’ locus of controls and relationship to their academic
achievement
 Implications for teaching and learning

Marks will be awarded for the essay written based on the following criteria:

i. The title that reflects the content of the essay

ii. Organization of the essay according to various subsections and coherence
iii. Clarity in relation to introduction, content and conclusion
iv. In depth discussion of the aspects mentioned
v. Use of APA style in citation and referencing
vi. Presented appropriately with no evidence of plagiarism

PART B (60%)

You are required to:

(a) Identify using appropriate method(s) locus of control among a sample of students in your
own classroom.

(b) Design suitable teaching and learning activities for students who have been grouped based
on the specified locus of control. The teaching and learning activities (at least five) must be
prepared for 1-2 topics of a subject area and should be suitable for the identified locus of
control of the students. All activities prepared must be accompanied with appropriate
objectives and a description of how they are implemented in the classroom.

(c) Evaluate the suitability of the activities by either implementing them in the classroom or
through a review made by experienced teachers.
Write an essay in about 10-12 pages that explains and describes:

 the method(s) that you have employed to identify the locus of control among the students
 The various teaching and learning activities that you have developed
 the evaluation to ascertain the suitability of the activities developed

Marks will be awarded for the essay written based on the following criteria:

i. The title that reflects the content of the essay

ii. Organization of the essay according to various subsections
iii. Originality of the activities developed
iv. Use of APA style in citation and referencing
v. Presented appropriately with no evidence of plagiarism

(GRAND TOTAL: 100 MARKS)


HMEF5043_V2 EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY
GRADE (31-40)%
Excellent review of
PART A (40%): articles in relation to all four
Review of journal aspects required in the
articles on locus of assignment. Excellent
control and its organization of thoughts. A
relationship to very coherent synthesis with
students’ academic evidence is provided.
achievement
GRADE (16-20)%
An excellent methodology
PART B Section (a)- that is based on research
(20%): Methodology findings is used and adapted
Employed in Assessing for the purpose of the study.
Student’s Locus of Evidence of collaboration in
Control developing the instrument is
evident.
GRADE (26-30)%
Excellent organization of
PART B Section (b)- thoughts. 5 – 7 suitable and
(30%): relevant activities have been
Teaching and Learning proposed and it is appropriate
Activities to the type of locus of control
of students and topic(s)
identified. Activities have
been backed using research
evidence. Objectives are clear.
JANUARY SEMESTER 2018
ASSIGNMENT RUBRIC (100 MARKS)
(21-30)%
Well developed review
of articles in 3 of 4 aspects.
Good organization of
thoughts. Good synthesis
with evidence is provided.
(11-15)%
A good methodology is used
and it is suitable to identify
the type of locus of control
among students.
(21-25%
Good organization of
thoughts. 4 -5 suitable and
relevant activities have been
proposed and it is
appropriate to the type of
locus of control of students
and topic(s) identified.
Objectives are clear.
(11-20)%
Good review of
articles in 2 of 4 aspects.
Good organization of
thoughts. Candidate has
illustrated synthesis with
average evidence.
(6-10)%
The methodology used is
sufficient but could be
improved further. The
methodology uses limited
research findings.
(11-20)%
Good organization of
thoughts. 3 – 4 suitable
activities have been proposed
and it is appropriate to the
type of locus of control of
students and topic(s)
identified. Objectives are
clear.
(1-10)%
Satisfactory review of articles
in 1 of 4 aspects. Average
organization of thought.
Synthesis is evident with
some or few evidences
provided.
(1-5)%
The methodology employed
is less useful to identify the
types of locus of control and
may not allow appropriate
identification of student type.
(1-10)%
Activities proposed may not
be suitable for the topic (s)
and type of locus of control
of students. Activities were
not well explained and lacks
clarity. Objectives of the
activities are not clearly
mentioned.
 GRADE (9-10)% (6 – 8) % (3 – 5 )% ((1 – 2) %
PART B Section (c)- An excellent evaluation of the A satisfactory evaluation of Evaluation is provided based Evaluation that is based on
10%: activities was provided based the activities was provided on 1 of the 2 mechanisms personal opinion is provided
Evaluation of teaching on students’ feedback and based on students’ feedback suggested. Evaluation is and lacks support. Evaluation
and activities expert opinion. and expert opinion limited in its explanation. is not clear and is not
(10%) explained in detail.

This paper examined the relationship between Locus of Control and academic achievement, and discussed the possibility of gender differences.
Past research indicated a positive correlation relationship between internal scores and high academic achievement. Overall, the research
regarding gender found males to be more internal and external than females. The sample of this study included 204 first year Yarmouk
University students, from four different departments (English. Accounting, Chemistry and Engineering). The multidimensional-multi-
attributional causality scales (MMCS). was administered to the respondents of the study. The MMCS were then correlated with academic
achievement and gender. The statistical analysis evidenced a correlation between Locus of Control and academic achievement, The internal
locus of control were high and positively correlated with academic achievement among the male students (r=.362, p=.000) and positively
correlated with external locus of control (r=-.208, p=.035). However only the internal locus of control was positively correlated with academic
achievement among female students (r=.274, p=.006) and negatively correlated with external locus of control (r=.002, p=.982). The findings
showed that males were more internal and external then females. Overall, this study supported the findings of past research supporting a positive
relationship between Locus of Control and academic achievemen
The Relationship between Locus of Control and Academic Achievement and Gender in a selected Higher Education Institution in Jordan (PDF
Download Available). Available from:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/267243308_The_Relationship_between_Locus_of_Control_and_Academic_Achievement_and_Gende
r_in_a_selected_Higher_Education_Institution_in_Jordan [accessed Jan 18 2018].
 Article excerpt
An important element in promoting achievement in educational environments is the sense of control or
empowerment that students' perceive they have over performance (Stipek & Weisz, 1981). Educators must deal
with a continuum of student perceptions about ability, likelihood of success, and self-determination over
influencing these educational outcomes. Understanding a students' locus of control provides some insights into how
students perceive learning settings, and how this can mediate progress.
Within a social learning perspective, Rotter's (1966) early research defined locus of control as a generalized
expectancy of internal versus external control over behavioral outcomes. Locus of control was viewed as a
cognitive expectancy which defined the individual's view of causal factors related to these outcomes. For example,
individuals having an internal locus of control tend to view outcomes as being under their own control, will, or
initiative. For internals, both positive and negative outcomes are derived from behaviors generated by the individual
such as effort, ability, or motivation. In contrast, children having an external locus, ascribe outcomes to factors
beyond their control such as luck, fate, or circumstance. In short, internal students feel outcomes (both negative and
positive) are derived from a basis of empowerment, whereas external students view such outcomes from a basis of
disengagement. Rotter (1966), further noted that whether or not a particular behavior will bring a reinforcement was
mediated by the value of reinforcement, e.g. a student who does not value a high grade may not study for a test,
even though the student believes that the high grade is contingent on studying (an internal factor). Phares (1976)
expands on this notion by saying that a child's expectations of a given behavior which lead to a reward (such as an
"A") are associated with three elements:
1) The frequency with which they have been rewarded in the current situation;
2) The frequency with which they have received rewards in similar situations; and
3) The belief that their behavior exerts control over such rewards.
Research
Research studies have supported an association between locus of control and school adjustment. For example, in a
study of students in grades five through eight, Nunn, Montgomery, & Nunn (1986) found significant negative
relationships between locus of control and scores on the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills. With these students, externality
was associated with increasing tendencies for lower levels of achievement, and was evident in both males and
females. Tesiny, Lefkowitz, & Gordon (1980) found externality to be negatively associated with performance in
areas of reading, mathematics, and teacher ratings of study habits. Blaha & Chomin (1982) obtained similar
findings between locus of control and students reading attitudes and aptitudes. These authors found internality to be
a positive factor in predicting academic performance, particularly with regard to attitudes about the reading
experience. In other words, students who believed that success in reading was due to their own efforts also felt that
extrinsic reinforcers and positive outcomes were more often associated with reading than students who did not. The
authors interpreted this to mean that more positive associations between the students' effort and the outcomes
associated with reading lead to more positive attitudes.
Locus of control has also been shown to be associated with other psychological characteristics and perceptions.
Nunn (1988), found significant relationships between an internal locus of control and perceptions of adjustment
within the home, school, and peer relations. In this study, higher internality was associated with more positive
evaluations in all three environmental contexts. The author notes that since internal locus of control is positively
related to achievement, behaviors which are consistent with internality lead to greater task persistence and
achievement at school, which is associated with greater perceived adjustment. …
Transcript of Locus of Control in my classroom
Locus of Control in My Classroom
Different strategies for different students
Helping Students
Ultimately, the goal for me is to help my students move towards an internal locus of control. Some students are already there, while some need a
little help. Helping students take ownership and responsibility for their learning is a wonderful accomplishment and I believe it helps students
become more successful in life.
Structure
I create an environment that has structure to help students with external locus of control. The agenda is written on the board every day, students
have assigned seats, and we follow a similar process for most classes. I also have built in freedoms for the students with a strong internal locus
of control. Assignments are posted ahead of time and students are allowed to work ahead.
Rewards?
This is a tricky one. Rewards are external motivators, but I do think they have a place in the classroom as long as they aren't overused. I have a
superstar wall and students can get a star with their name on it if they get an A on a test. I have had students tell me at the end of the year that it
was a highlight for them when they made the wall.
Quin
Quin has an external locus of control. Throughout the year I worked with Quin by encouraging him when he was struggling. I also moved his
seat so he could easily ask questions. I often pointed out to him how his hard work had led to success on an assessment.
Megan has an internal locus of control. She works very hard and believes that her success in a class is directly connected to her efforts. I often
allowed Megan the freedom to work ahead and ask questions about material we hadn't yet covered. She appreciated that I recognized her
abilities and didn't want her to be bored.
Megan
Special Education Students
I have had several students with IEPs and 504 plans in my classroom. My goal is to make my classroom a positive place for them to learn and
maximize their potential. I apply all of their accommodations, but I don't think that's enough. I believe creating a caring environment where they
know they are supported can make a large impact on how successful they are in my class.
Environment
I believe that creating a positive environment is important for all students to be successful. I create a place where students know they are cared
about and know they can share ideas without being ridiculed. Developing this kind of classroom helps all of my students succeed and hopefully
helps them move along the path towards taking ownership of their learning.