Impact of Instructor Expressiveness and some Students' Personal Characteristics on Students' Attitude Towards Biology

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of Instructor Expressiveness (a teaching behaviour), Students' Locus of Control (LOC), gender and cognitive entry behaviour (CEB) on secondary school students' attitude towards biology. After determining the LOC, CEB, gender and attitude towards biology of the study sample, the students were divided into two groups that were exposed to lessons taught by expressive and conventional instructors respectively. Six weeks later, the students responded to a post-lecture Attitude Towards Biology Scale. Results revealed that there were significant main effects of both the treatment and locus of control on students' attitude towards biology. Students exposed to expressive teaching behaviour were found to have better attitude towards biology than the students of conventional teaching behaviour. Moreover, the internal locus of control students had a better attitude towards biology than the external locus of control students.



IFE Psychologia (2003) 11(2), 214-228