Gender, Age and Locus of Control as Correlates of Remedial Learners’ Attitude towards English Language

Abstract

The study sought to explain remedial learners’ attitude towards English language using three variables: gender, age and locus of control. Three properly validated instruments were used to collect data on the relevant variables from 385 remedial English learners randomly selected from 5 remedial education centers in Ibadan, Nigeria. Data analysis involved the use of multiple regression to explain the relationship between learners’ attitude towards English and the 3 independent variables. The results showed that gender, age and locus of control, when acting together, predict attitude and at the individual level of contribution, only one variable– locus of control was significantly predictive of attitude towards English language. These findings have far-reaching implications for adult and non-formal education practitioners and other stakeholders interested in improving the lots of several learners out there, in English language.

Keywords: Gender, age, locus of control, remedial learners, attitude towards English