WHO AND WHAT DO TEACHERS THINK THEIR PROFESSIONAL LIVES ARE
CONTROLLED BY: THEMSELVES, OTHERS, OR CHANCE?
In this study, the locus of control as a personal characteristic of
an individual, which explains the perceptions of people about the
factors controlling the lives of those, was handled. The study was
conducted on 356 primary teachers working in the metropolitan
provinces of Ankara. The two significant findings of the study
are; teachers as a group have external locus of control at the
degrees of “very high” and “high”, the points of the female
teachers related to external locus of control are higher than those
of male teachers. These findings show that the teachers do not
have internal locus of control sufficiently as much as the
teaching profession requires. The internal locus of control as a
professional characteristics should be required and developed.
Key Words: external / internal locus of control, fate and chance, teaching profession,
professional life, the I-paradigm,
Introduction
In the field of education, “teaching profession” is said to be one of the most talked over and
written about issue. Teaching as a profession is a job toward which all the criticisms
concerning the past and for which all the hopes for future are directed. It is easy to be a
teacher in Turkey; however, to work as a teacher is not.
The simplicity of becoming a teacher heats up the debate over whether it is a profession
or not. On the other hand, the reason why working as a teacher is difficult is that it requires
professional knowledge and skills. As opposed to the debates and policies in practice,
teaching is a profession entailing special knowledge and skills of expert. Further, teachers are
expected to have a certain personality traits beyond the comprehensive efficiency over the
knowledge of the field, professional knowledge and cultural knowledge.
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In this study, the “locus of control” as one of the personality traits, referring to the
perceptions of the individual of who and what control their lives has been examined in the
perspective of teaching profession. The locus of control as a personality trait has been
scrutinized in the dimensions of gender and professional experiences of the class-teachers
working in primary schools. What follows are the theoretical framework of the study, the
research and the findings.
The Locus of Control: Internal and External
Personality and the related traits are one of the most scientifically explored topics to
understand and explain the individual and their actions. Researchers have defined and tested
tens of dimensions along with thousands of traits. The locus of control as a personality trait
signifies those perceptions of the individuals concerning the important events in their lives in
respect of who and what control them. According to the scope of such perception are
individuals and their personalities defined (Rotter, 1960: 80; 1990, 489-93).
Those individuals who think that everything in their lives are under the effect of their
decisions and actions and thus believe that they control their lives are classified as having the
internal locus of control (internals); those individuals who think that everything in their
lives are under the effect of their family, social settings, society, chance and fate are said to
have the external locus of control (externals).
Generally speaking, the external factors being mental and perceptual occurrences such
as chance, fate, traditional religious beliefs, metaphysical life, superstitions, magic are
regarded to be within the framework of paranormal beliefs and are studied in a different
dimension from the other external factors. In this sense, externality is examined in two
dimensions: 1) externality, 2) external chance. The externals who think that their lives are
under the control of such external factors as chance and fate are estimated to be much more
submissive and passive in terms of personal effectiveness than others (Gibson et. al, 1997:
113-114).
Internality refers to independence and the “I” paradigm. The “I” paradigm involves the
ideas that “I am responsible for the things in my life and they are a result of my actions and
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decisions. I can do it and be successful”. Externality, however, indicates dependence and
“You others”, chance and fate paradigms, which involve the ideas that “I am not responsible
for the things in my life and they are a result of others’ decisions and actions. This is just fate
or chance. I can do nothing for these”. In the literature of management, internality is
synonymously used for “proactivity”, while externality for “reactivity” (Covey, 1997).
The Relationship between the Locus of Control and Social and Organizational Behavior
The fact that individuals have personality traits based on internal or external locus of control
influences their actions, and naturally, social and organizational life. Thus, it is important to
know how the personality trait in question would affect the actions of the individual and what
the possible implications for social and organizational life would be. Numerous studies into
the topic contain remarkable clues. It has been determined that such psychological variables
as hopelessness, psychopathic tendencies, having paranormal beliefs, alcoholism, resistance to
social influences are positively related to having an external locus of control (Korkut, 1991;
Kıran, 1993; Helode and Kopa, 1988).
Further, it has been shown that the individuals with a high level of external locus of
control, in comparison with the internals, have less job satisfaction, high frequency of
absenteeism; however, the individuals with internal locus of control prefer to quit their job in
the cases of job dissatisfaction rather than explaining it (Robbins, 1993: 105).
In another study examining the locus of control in relation to its effects on job
performance according to the type of the job, the internals have been found to be more
successful at the jobs requiring a high level of motivation, supplying high level of rewards,
involving complex learning and evaluation processes, initiatives and autonomy; on the other
hand, externals have been found to prefer and be successful at the easy and simple jobs
requiring little motivation, meeting lower needs and having scheduled work hours (Miner,
1992: 151).
Moreover, it has been identified that the internals 1) are better at controlling themselves
and their actions, 2) deal with stress easier, 3) are more sociable, politically aware and active,
4) try to influence others to persuade, 5) resist when forced to adjust, 6) adapt managerial
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positions and like to have a democratic management models, 7) are “initiative” irrespective of
their gender.
However, it is still debated whether gender may be a variable affecting the locus of
control, for some studies indicate that women are more likely to be externals in comparison
with men. In addition, it has been stressed that the individual cannot be totally an external or
internal, for instance, an individual with a high level of external locus of control can be an
internal at a lower level. Therefore, what has been emphasized is that the locus of control of
the individual vary contextually according to their family background, the society they live in
and thus measuring the locus of control is to be carried out in relation to such points as
profession and health and the like (Black, 1990; Lefcourt, 1992; Langan-Fox and Roth, 1995;
Shaver, 1995).
In terms of the scope of this study, the upshots of individual’s having the internal locus
of control especially in relation to their professional life are of much significance. The
individuals with the locus of control in relation to their professional life are observed 1) to
have developed a sense of “self-sufficiency”, 2) are able to produce creative solutions to the
problems easily, 3) can create high level of objectives and standards, 4) are likely to head for
the hard, 5) can learn from failure, 6) can focus on success, 7) to show more ethical behavior
in organizational decisions. On the other hand, the individuals with the locus of control are
said 1) to fail to develop a sense of “self-sufficiency”, 2) to lack self-confidence, are passive,
under stress, fearful, depressive and unsuccessful (Bandura, 1982; Gibson, 1997; Hellriegel,
1995).
Considering the studies combined, it can comfortably be stated that the individuals
having an internal locus of control, generally to their life and specifically to their profession,
have a more positive professional character than those externals.
Teaching as a Profession and the Locus of Control
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Teaching is a job of love; it is essential to commit your heart and soul with no hesitation,
boredom, and stopping… Teaching is a job of wisdom, requiring to question the world, the
society and the self… With patience, bravery and belief… Teaching is a job of
knowledgeableness, requiring to say that I know nothing and to be a continuous learner who
is after what is not known… Teaching is a job of being a human, requiring to embrace, with
an impartial and pure heart, all the people and to be at the same distance from and to
everyone… Teaching is a job of art, requiring to experience creativity, variety, excitement,
and zeal… Teaching is a job of leadership, requiring to be in the lead for transformations
toward future from the past, from the old to the new… Teaching is a job of ordeal… it
requires enduring the lack of money and things … Teaching is enrichment… with the people
you share your knowledge and love…
It is emphasized with this poetical rhetoric that teachers are to have such characteristics
as high motivation, learning, evaluating, taking initiatives, being independent, creative,
patient, open to communication and interaction, development and improvement, being
democratic and having a control over their emotions etc. (Şişman, 1999; Özyurt, 1999).
It is already obvious that “the teacher is one of the most effective factors in education
and a good teacher can be much more influential on his students than all the other people”
(Başaran, 1996). The teacher is not only a knowledge and information supplier but he is also a
model having an impact, conscious or unconscious, on the students, with his personal
characteristics and actions (Başar, 1999; Goleman, 1998). Moreover, “the teacher is the one
responsible for creating a safe environment of independence for the student to know about
himself, to accept himself, and thus realize his capacities” (Demirbolat, 2000).
As we enter the third millennium, only those teachers who are able to search for and
produce opportunities to understand the world, and who can activate their students mentally,
emotionally and physically can contribute new senses to life and set as a model. Hence, it is
necessary to examine the personality traits for the teachers to have. Considering the related
characteristics, the individuals having an internal locus of control, generally to their life and
specifically to their profession, can be teachers successful at their profession. Thus, it can be
stated that teaching as a profession requires those to have an internal locus of control on their
life and personality.
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It is also important to define the locus of control as a professional personality trait in the
aspects of professional life and gender in order to identify the criteria in personnel selection
and to meet the expectations concerning the job. In this study, the locus of control in the
dimensions of professional life and gender of the class teachers working in the primary
schools are examined and answers to following questions are searched for:
1. Which locus of control, being internal, external, external chance, and at what level is
effective in the professional lives of the class teachers?
2. Do the class teachers according to their gender vary in identifying which locus of
control, being internal, external, external chance, and at what level is effective in their
professional lives?
Methodology
Participants
This study has been carried out through the survey technique. The scope of study covered the
7779 class teachers (2193 being men; 5586 being women) working in the metropolitan
provinces of Ankara, namely, Çankaya, Keçiören, Altındağ, Yenimahalle, Mamak, Etimesgut,
Sincan, and Gölbaşı (MEB, 2000). Sampling was carried out with 0.95 reliability at the
significance level of 0.05. Out of 7779 class teachers, 356 teachers were selected as the
sample group, with the help of “sample range tables” (Balcı, 1990). Due to the fact that 72 %
class teachers were women, 72 % women were selected from the sample.
Data Collection
In the study, the scale first developed by H. Levinson in 1973 and rearranged by U. Pereek in
1992 was used as in the adapted form in Turkish. The scale was conducted for reliability work
on 60 class teachers, 72 % being women, and the relationship after the two applications was
found to be r=.81.
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The scale was made up of 30 items measuring the locus of control of the teachers in the
dimension of professional life. 10 items (1.,2.,3.,10.,16.,20.,23., 25., 27.,28.) were internal,
10
items
(4.,5.,6.,11.,15.,17.,19.,22.,29.,30.)
were
external,
10
items
were
(7.,8.,9.,12.,13.,14.,18.,21.,24.,26.) external chance factors. Because it was aimed to identify
“which” locus of control, being internal, external, external chance, and “at what level” is
effective in the professional lives of the class teachers, choices were presented through 10
items concerning each locus of control, total 30 items to identify at what degree they agreed
on the ideas given in each item, being “0” at the lowest and “4” at the highest level of
measurement (0-1-2-3-4).
Data Analysis and Evaluation
Scores concerning each locus of control were calculated with the addition of the points 10
items were given. In this case, the point concerning each locus of control was “zero (0)” at the
lowest and “forty (40)” at the highest. Thus, the points concerning each locus of control were
classified as “the lowest”(0-10), “low” (11-20), “high” (21-30), “very high” (31-20). T-test
was used to compare the scores of the women and men class teachers.
Results
The results concerning which locus of control, being internal, external, external chance, and at
what level was effective in the professional lives of the class teachers were presented for the
whole group and then they were examined and interpreted in terms of gender as a variable.
The locus of control of Class Teachers
As a whole group, which locus of control at what level was effective in the professional lives
of the class teachers was shown in Table 1.
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Table 1. Standard Deviation and Arithmetic Mean of the Scores of Teachers’
Locus of Control
Locus of Control
Level of Effect
X
SS
Internal
Low
17.43
5.80
External
Very high
33.13
5.62
External chance
High
26.07
7.52
It is seen that teachers, as a whole group, have very high level of external, high level of
external chance, and low level of internal locus of control.
The Locus of Control of the Women and Men Class Teachers
The standard deviations and total arithmetic means of the scores indicating which locus of
control was effective in the professional lives of the women and men class teachers are shown
in Table 2.
Tablo 2. The Test of the Scores concerning the Locus of Control of Women and
Men Class Teachers
Locus of control
Gender
Internal
Women
External Chance
Ss
16.39 5.43
74
20.66 9.94
247
35.19 3.33
Men
74
25.82 6.40
Women
247
28.72 6.17
74
16.85 4.70
Women
Men
p<.05
X
247
Men
External
N
t
4.90*
6.29*
3.89*
Sd=319
Teachers, according to their gender, varied significantly in identifying which locus of
control, being internal, external, external chance, at what level was effective in their
professional lives. The scores of the male class teachers, concerning internal locus of control,
were higher than those of female class teachers. However, the scores of the female class
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teachers, concerning external and external chance locus of control, were higher than those of
male class teachers.
Discussion
As a result of the study, it has been identified that a) as a whole group class teachers have a
“very high” external, “high” external chance, and “low” internal locus of control
concerning their professional lives, b) teachers, according to their gender, varied significantly
in identifying which locus of control, being internal, external, external chance, at what level
was effective in their professional lives, c) the scores of the female class teachers, concerning
external and external chance locus of control, were higher than those of male class teachers.
The findings have proved that teachers’ professional lives are shaped by the effects of
others rather than their own decisions and actions and that they think they are under the
control of chance and fate. It has been understood that teachers have adapted the paradigms of
dependence, others, fate, chance, enemy-is-outside. In this sense, the teachers regard
themselves not responsible for the occurrences in their professional lives. Their perceptions
concerning their professional lives are far from such active ideas as I-can-do, I –can-succeed,
and I-can-change. Considering % 72 female participants, the fact that the scores of the female
teachers, concerning external and external chance locus of control, were higher than those of
male class teachers is notable in terms of teaching as in the way of becoming a female
profession in Turkey.
It has already been discussed that the individuals having an internal locus of control,
generally to their life and specifically to their profession, are more likely to be successful at
teaching and teaching as a profession requires ones to have a personality with an internal
locus of control. From this point of view, the results are discouraging. In parallel to this, they
justify the necessity of professional personality features concerning the locus of control. It
seems considerably hard for the teachers with such a perception and understanding to operate
as models in the process of educating individuals who are able to face the challenges put
across by the information society. Besides, Gümüş (1988) has found that teachers’ perception
of themselves as having the qualifications necessary for information society is at the “average
level”.
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Conclusion and Suggestion
Teachers do not have the necessary quality of internal locus of control at an adequate degree.
It is essential that the internal locus of control as a professional requirement be a must in the
stages of selection, training, and evaluation of teachers, and it must be supported and
improved through the carrier as an important component of successful performance.
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