Influence of Emotional Intelligence and Locus of Control on Academic Achievement of Underachieving High Ability Students

Year 2018, Volume: 6 Issue: 2, 14 - 22, 29.06.2018

Dada Oluseyı Akıntunde , Fagbemi Olusegun Olujıde

Abstract

Underachievement among high ability or gifted students has remained a
challenge to educators. Therefore, strategies to combat it have been
evolving.  Meanwhile instructional
strategies seem not effective because of some hidden damage in the personality
of the students. This study is therefore motivated to investigate the influence
of emotional intelligence (EI) and locus of control (LC) on academic
achievement of underachieving high ability students in Ibadan, Nigeria. The
sample for the study consists of 72 underachieving high ability students
purposively selected from 12 schools in Ibadan, Nigeria. Cognitive Ability
Test, modified Schutte’s (1998) Emotional Intelligence Scale (SEIS) and
Rotter’s (2001) Locus of Control Scale (RLCS), and the school academic record
were used for the data collection. Data collected were analyzed using, t-test
and multiple regression analysis. Results showed that the LC and EI of the
respondents are significantly low. Again, there is a very strong influence of
EI and LC on academic achievement of the participants. A significant difference
also exist between male and female students in their locus of control (t=2.15,
p<.05) with female participants showing better locus of internal control.
The study also revealed that LC (β = .52) has more influence than emotional
intelligence (β = .46) in predicting academic achievement and that the two
variables have high positive correlation (R= .636) and very strong significant
composite effect (F(2,70) = 6.53 and p<.05) on academic achievement. Again
LC and EI account for 40.4% (Multiple R2 = .404) of the total variance of the
academic achievement. Therefore, it is recommended that educators and parents
should develop the emotional intelligence and internal locus of control
strongly and not only the cognition domain for optimum achievement of high
ability students.

Keywords

locus of control, emotional intelligence, academic achievement, high ability students

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