Relationship of Study Habits and School Attitudes to Achievement in Mathematics and Reading

Abstract

The Survey of Study Habits and Attitudes (SSHA) was used to examine the relationship of sixth grade study habits and school attitudes to achievement in mathematics and reading. Only the attitudes subtest appeared predictive for the group as a whole, using the reading criterion. More precise analysis of this data was accomplished through the use of a moderator variable procedure involving the grouping of pupils by sex. This analysis revealed that in the case of the boys only, the total SSHA score and the attitudes subtest predicted reading achievement. In the case of the girls, neither of these predicted the criterion, although the attitudes subtest did predict a different criterion, mathematics achievement. The implications of these findings are examined with respect to the early diagnosis of school difficulties as well as from the point of view of further development of the SSHA as a research instrument.