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The influence of learned helplessness on school performance of Secondary Four Normal Course pupils
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Type
Thesis
Author
Phoon, Sau Hing
Supervisor
Lee, Francis Moi Fah
Chin, Long Fay
Abstract
This study is concerned with the issue of academic failure. It attempts to explore the extent of influence learned helplessness might have on the learning of our slower pupils in the normal course. Learned helplessness in the study is determined by maladaptive attributions made by pupils for success and failure outcomes. Five dimensions of attributions are explored. The study also examines whether learned helplessness results from pupils' past experiences with success and failure, the effects of learned helplessness on pupils' perceived competence at academic tasks, their generalised expectancy for future success and ultimately their academic performance.
Data for the study were collected on a sample of 307 pupils from randomly selected classes in eight randomly selected government schools. A questionnaire was administered to the pupils to determine their casual perception of success and failure, their generalised expectancy for future success and their perceived competence at various school subjects. Their history of reinforcement and academic performance were represented by their past academic records and grades obtained in the GCE 'N' level examination respectively.
Results indicated that the non-achievers are not more maladaptive in their casual perception of outcomes compared to the achievers in the same cohort. Their generalised expectancy for future success remains as high as that of the achievers. It appears that past experiences with success and failure outcomes have not made this group of pupils more learned helpless. They tend to continue to assume achievement-orientated behaviors despite their past failures. The study therefore suggests that teachers should make a concerted effort to design a curriculum that matches the motivational level of this group of pupils.
The study has shown that the non-achievers in the normal course have been exposed to significantly more learned helplessness training as reflected by the percent of success and failure experiences in their last two years in schools than the achievers. This was found to correlate significantly with perceived competence at performing academic tasks and also with academic performances in English and Mathematics. Perceived competence in turn was found to correlate significantly with academic performance in both subjects. The correlations were found to be higher when subjects were considered individually. This was found especially so in Mathematics. In the case of English, even the achievers were found to be not as confident in the subject as they should be judging by their past performance in the subject taken in the GCE 'N' level examination. All pupils in the normal course were found to have a tendency to underestimate their abilities in both subjects. Based on these findings, the study suggests that future research of this nature should concentrate on studying the phenomenon in specific situations rather than looking at the generality of learned helplessness.
In conclusion, the study discusses the implications of its findings on streaming, teaching and learning.
Data for the study were collected on a sample of 307 pupils from randomly selected classes in eight randomly selected government schools. A questionnaire was administered to the pupils to determine their casual perception of success and failure, their generalised expectancy for future success and their perceived competence at various school subjects. Their history of reinforcement and academic performance were represented by their past academic records and grades obtained in the GCE 'N' level examination respectively.
Results indicated that the non-achievers are not more maladaptive in their casual perception of outcomes compared to the achievers in the same cohort. Their generalised expectancy for future success remains as high as that of the achievers. It appears that past experiences with success and failure outcomes have not made this group of pupils more learned helpless. They tend to continue to assume achievement-orientated behaviors despite their past failures. The study therefore suggests that teachers should make a concerted effort to design a curriculum that matches the motivational level of this group of pupils.
The study has shown that the non-achievers in the normal course have been exposed to significantly more learned helplessness training as reflected by the percent of success and failure experiences in their last two years in schools than the achievers. This was found to correlate significantly with perceived competence at performing academic tasks and also with academic performances in English and Mathematics. Perceived competence in turn was found to correlate significantly with academic performance in both subjects. The correlations were found to be higher when subjects were considered individually. This was found especially so in Mathematics. In the case of English, even the achievers were found to be not as confident in the subject as they should be judging by their past performance in the subject taken in the GCE 'N' level examination. All pupils in the normal course were found to have a tendency to underestimate their abilities in both subjects. Based on these findings, the study suggests that future research of this nature should concentrate on studying the phenomenon in specific situations rather than looking at the generality of learned helplessness.
In conclusion, the study discusses the implications of its findings on streaming, teaching and learning.
Date Issued
1987
Call Number
BF575.H4 Pho
Date Submitted
1987