Attributions and Academic Achievement of Educatiori, Medicine and Polytechnic Freshman Students in Bahir Dar
Abstract
High attrition of freshman students in 1996/97 initiated this
study. It is aimed at investigating how far academic achievement is accounted
for by causal attributions. Causal attributions of successes and failures were
first collected in an open-ended questionnaire and then structured into a fivepOint-
scale of different items - twenty items for success and twenty-three for
failure. After first semester exam result was reported, the instrument was
administered The collected data were analyzed using Pearson's r, t-test and
F-test. Results showed that attributions correlated significantly with GP A, sex
and, faculty. Lack of effort and placement to college (as perceived causes of
failure) and God's help (as perceived cause of success) were the first three
causes to be related to GP A. Effort and task difficulty were attributed more by
females than by males, and luck more by males than females to success and
failure. Polytechnic students, more than others, seemed to attribute their
success to friends' role, and their failure to unluckiness and teachers' bias.
Lack of interest in subjects and placement to college were attributed to failure
respectively by Medicine and Education students more than others.
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References
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Journal of Educational Psychology. 71: 85-93.
Bar-Tal, D. (1978). Attributional Analysis of Achievement Related Behavior. Review of
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Observers. _Journal of Research in Personality. 10: 256-265.
Bar-Tal, D. (1982). The Effect of Teachers ' Behavior on pPpupils Attributions: a Review. In
C. Ahtaki and C. Brewin (ed.), Attributions and Psychological changeApplications
of Attributional Theories to Clinical and Educational Practice (pp.
177-194). London: Academic press.
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Borich ,G.D. and Tombari, M.L. (1995). Educational Psychology: A Contemporary
Approach. New York: Harper Collins.
Darge Wolle. (1988). Attributional Responsibilitiesfor Academic Ooutcomes Among
Elementary and High School students in Menlik 11 School. Ethiopian Journal of
Development Research, 10:31-57.
Deaux K and Faris E. (1977). Attributing Causes for one 's Own Performance-The Effects of
Sex, Norms, and Outcome. Journal of Research in Personality. II :59-72.
DeBoer, G.E. (1984). Factors Related to the Decision of Men and Women to Continue
Ttaking Science Courses in college. Journal of Research in Science Teaching.
21:325-329.
Elig,T.W. and Frieze, I.H. (1979). Measuring Causal Attributionfor Success and Failure.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 37: 621-634
Frankel, A.D. (1985). Causal Attributions of Control on ten Variables Effecting student
attrition/retention in college. Research Reports~ (ERIC i982-3/94 CD- ROM Print
Out)
Frieze, I.H. (1976). Causal Attributions and Information Seeking to Explain Success Failure.
Journal of Research in Personality, 10: 293-305
Fyans, Jr.· W-..and Machr, M. L. (1979). Attrloutional Style Task Selection and Achievement.
JouI"nal of Education Psychology. 91:499-509.
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Miglin Company.
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Griffin, B.B., Combs, A.L. and, M. L., and Combs, N. N. (1983). Attribution of Success and
Failure in CO/lege Performance. The Journal of Psychology. 14:259-266.
Hinkle, D. E., Weirsma, W. and Jurs, S. G. (l982). Applied Statistics for the Behavioral
Sciences. Boston: Houghton Mifilin.
Klein S. B. (1987). Learning: Principles and Applications. New York, McGraw-Hill Book
Company.
Layden, M. A. (1982). Attributional Style Therapy. Attributions and Psychological Change
- Applications of Attributional Theories to Clinical and Educational Practice.
Overwalle, F. V. (1989). Structure of Freshman's Causal Attributions for Exam Performance.
Journal of Educational Psychology. 81: 400-407.
Ryckman, D.B. and Mizokawa, b .T. (1988). Causal attributions of academic success and
failure: Asian Americans; and white Americans' Beliefs about effort and ability.
Research Reports, (ERIC } 982-3/94 CD- ROM Print Out)
Ryckman, D.B. & Peckham, P. 0.·(1986). Gender Differences on Attribution Patterns in
Academic Areas of Learning Disabled Students. Learning Disabilities ~esearch,
1(2): 83-89 (ERIC 1982-3/94 CD- ROM Print Out)
Simon, J.G. and Feather, N. T. (1973). Causal Attributionsfor Success and Failure at
University Examinations. Journal of Research in Personality; 10:29-305.
Tamirie Andualem (1995). Attributions of Students to their Academic Outcome in Addi5
Ababa University. Unpublished MA Thesis. Addis Ababa University.
Wade, C. and Tavris, C. (1990). Psychology (2nd ed.). New York: Harper Collins publishers.
Weiner, B. (1989). Human Motivation. Hillsdale: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers.
Weiner, B. (1985). An Attributional Analysis of Achievement Mmotivation and Emotion ..
Psychological Review. 92:548-573.
Weiner, B. (1979). A theory of Motivation for Some Class-Room Experiences . . Journal of
Educational Psychology. 71 :3-25.
Wilson, T. D. (1985). Strangers to Ourselves: The Origins and Accuracy o/Beliefs about
one's own Mental States. In J. H. Harvey & G. Weary (ed.), Attributions - Basic
Issues and Applications, San Diego: Academic press, Inc.
Wyatt, S.A. and Medway, FJ. (1984). Causal Attributions of Students and Student-proctors
for Performance on a University Examination. Contemporary Educational
Psychology. 9(1):25-37.
Journal of Educational Psychology. 71: 85-93.
Bar-Tal, D. (1978). Attributional Analysis of Achievement Related Behavior. Review of
Educational Research. 48:259-271
Bar-Tal, D. and Frieze, 1. H. (1976). Attribution of Success and Failurefor Actors and
Observers. _Journal of Research in Personality. 10: 256-265.
Bar-Tal, D. (1982). The Effect of Teachers ' Behavior on pPpupils Attributions: a Review. In
C. Ahtaki and C. Brewin (ed.), Attributions and Psychological changeApplications
of Attributional Theories to Clinical and Educational Practice (pp.
177-194). London: Academic press.
Bierhoff - Alfermann D. and Bierhoff, H.W. (1982). The Importance of Sex and Outcome in ~
causal Attribution. In H. Hiebsch (ed.), Social Psychology (pp. 27-33). Amsterdam:
North - Holland Publishing Company.
Borich ,G.D. and Tombari, M.L. (1995). Educational Psychology: A Contemporary
Approach. New York: Harper Collins.
Darge Wolle. (1988). Attributional Responsibilitiesfor Academic Ooutcomes Among
Elementary and High School students in Menlik 11 School. Ethiopian Journal of
Development Research, 10:31-57.
Deaux K and Faris E. (1977). Attributing Causes for one 's Own Performance-The Effects of
Sex, Norms, and Outcome. Journal of Research in Personality. II :59-72.
DeBoer, G.E. (1984). Factors Related to the Decision of Men and Women to Continue
Ttaking Science Courses in college. Journal of Research in Science Teaching.
21:325-329.
Elig,T.W. and Frieze, I.H. (1979). Measuring Causal Attributionfor Success and Failure.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 37: 621-634
Frankel, A.D. (1985). Causal Attributions of Control on ten Variables Effecting student
attrition/retention in college. Research Reports~ (ERIC i982-3/94 CD- ROM Print
Out)
Frieze, I.H. (1976). Causal Attributions and Information Seeking to Explain Success Failure.
Journal of Research in Personality, 10: 293-305
Fyans, Jr.· W-..and Machr, M. L. (1979). Attrloutional Style Task Selection and Achievement.
JouI"nal of Education Psychology. 91:499-509.
Gage, N.L. and Berliner, D.C. (1988). Educational Psychology (4th ed.). Boston: Honghton
Miglin Company.
Glass, G. V. and Hopkins, K. D. (1996). Statistical methods in Education and Psychology
(3rd ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Griffin, B.B., Combs, A.L. and, M. L., and Combs, N. N. (1983). Attribution of Success and
Failure in CO/lege Performance. The Journal of Psychology. 14:259-266.
Hinkle, D. E., Weirsma, W. and Jurs, S. G. (l982). Applied Statistics for the Behavioral
Sciences. Boston: Houghton Mifilin.
Klein S. B. (1987). Learning: Principles and Applications. New York, McGraw-Hill Book
Company.
Layden, M. A. (1982). Attributional Style Therapy. Attributions and Psychological Change
- Applications of Attributional Theories to Clinical and Educational Practice.
Overwalle, F. V. (1989). Structure of Freshman's Causal Attributions for Exam Performance.
Journal of Educational Psychology. 81: 400-407.
Ryckman, D.B. and Mizokawa, b .T. (1988). Causal attributions of academic success and
failure: Asian Americans; and white Americans' Beliefs about effort and ability.
Research Reports, (ERIC } 982-3/94 CD- ROM Print Out)
Ryckman, D.B. & Peckham, P. 0.·(1986). Gender Differences on Attribution Patterns in
Academic Areas of Learning Disabled Students. Learning Disabilities ~esearch,
1(2): 83-89 (ERIC 1982-3/94 CD- ROM Print Out)
Simon, J.G. and Feather, N. T. (1973). Causal Attributionsfor Success and Failure at
University Examinations. Journal of Research in Personality; 10:29-305.
Tamirie Andualem (1995). Attributions of Students to their Academic Outcome in Addi5
Ababa University. Unpublished MA Thesis. Addis Ababa University.
Wade, C. and Tavris, C. (1990). Psychology (2nd ed.). New York: Harper Collins publishers.
Weiner, B. (1989). Human Motivation. Hillsdale: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers.
Weiner, B. (1985). An Attributional Analysis of Achievement Mmotivation and Emotion ..
Psychological Review. 92:548-573.
Weiner, B. (1979). A theory of Motivation for Some Class-Room Experiences . . Journal of
Educational Psychology. 71 :3-25.
Wilson, T. D. (1985). Strangers to Ourselves: The Origins and Accuracy o/Beliefs about
one's own Mental States. In J. H. Harvey & G. Weary (ed.), Attributions - Basic
Issues and Applications, San Diego: Academic press, Inc.
Wyatt, S.A. and Medway, FJ. (1984). Causal Attributions of Students and Student-proctors
for Performance on a University Examination. Contemporary Educational
Psychology. 9(1):25-37.
Published
1997-11-01
Section
Articles