Attitude Towards Responsibility and Teacher Locus of Control: Further Evidence of Their Validities

Introduction

In recent years, a growing number of studies have shown that teachers' sense of efficacy is a powerful predictor of teacher effectiveness. The construct of teacher locus of control or perceived teacher efficacy is defined as the teachers' beliefs or conviction that they can influence how well students learn and how they behave (Guskey, 1981; Rose & Medway, 1981; Taylor et al., 1981). It has also been found that teachers who place a high value on teaching tend to take greater personal responsibility for their own actions and their students' performance (Ames, 1982; Brookover & Lezotte, 1979). The concept of personal responsibility for student performance and behaviour may be extended to include responsibility for other aspects of school work and to attitude towards responsibility in general within the school context.