The Relationships among Teacher Self Concept, Teacher Locus of Control and Student Reading Achievement

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships among teacher self-concept, teacher locus of control, and student reading achievement. Twelve male/female sixth-grade teachers from one urban school district in central New York State participated in this investigation. The Tennessee Self-Concept Scale and the Nowicki Adult Locus of Control Scale were used to assess teacher self-concept and locus of control. The total reading score from the California Achievement Test was used to measure student achievement. Data obtained from these measuring devices were computer analyzed to determine correlation coefficients among the variables. Statistically significant relationships were not found between teacher self-concept and teacher locus of control, between teacher self-concept and student reading achievement, and between teacher locus of control and student reading achievement. Based on the results of this investigation, it would be recommended that a replication of this study be conducted with a larger sample to determine if a significant relationship exists among the variables. Further research could be conducted on grade levels other than sixth to determine if a stronger relationship exists among the variables in the younger grade levels. Further research could also be conducted using different instruments other than the ones used herein.