Attribution Style as Correlates of Secondary School Students’ Academic Achievement in Biology in Onitsha Education Zone

Aims: The study attribution style as correlates of secondary school students’ academic achievement in Biology in Onitsha Education Zone.

Study Design: The research adopted the correlation survey design.

Place and Duration of Study: Multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select a sample size of 720 students from 12 co-educational schools from a population of 4241 SS II students in 26 public secondary schools in Onitsha Education Zone.

Methodology: Multi-stage sampling procedure was used to select a sample size of 720 students from 12 co-educational schools from a population of 4241 SS II students in 26 public secondary schools in Onitsha Education Zone. The instruments for data collection were an adapted Attribution Style Scale (ASS) and Students Academic Achievement Scores in Biology. These instruments were administered using the direct delivery approach with the help of 12 regular teachers as research assistants from the sampled schools. Research questions 1 and 2 was answered using Pearson Product Moment Correlation Coefficient (r), data relating to the hypotheses 1 and 2 was analyzed using multiple regression analysis.

Results: The findings of the study revealed that a very low negative relationship exists between attribution style and secondary school students’ academic achievement in Biology (r = -0.05). A very low positive relationship exists between attribution style and male secondary school students’ academic achievement in Biology (r = 0.11). In the same vein, a very low negative relationship exists between attribution style and female secondary school students’ academic achievement in Biology (r = -0.09). There was no significant relationship between attribution style and male and female secondary school students’ academic achievement in Biology (r = 0.11/-0.09, t=0.21/-1.34, Pvalue=0.83/0.81), This study also revealed that the relationship existing between attribution style and secondary school students’ academic achievement in Biology is significant. On the contrary, there was no significant relationship between attribution style and male and female secondary school students’ academic achievement in Biology (r=-0.05, t=-1.1, Pvalue= 0.02).

Conclusion: A very low negative relationship between attribution style and secondary school students’ academic achievement in Biology, while a very low positive relationship between attribution style and male secondary school students’ academic achievement in Biology.