Causal Attributions and Achievement Motivation

The framework of Attribution Theory is utilised to justify the importance of attributions and achievement motivation to science achievement of learners. There is a lack of knowledge in our understanding of attribution patterns of learners and understanding of how achievement in science, achievement motivation levels, gender, and socio-economic factors could influence the attribution styles of learners. The focus was on understanding the dynamics associated with attributional styles among learners as a way that may provide light on how learners in science programmes may be encouraged to reach higher levels of achievement. The key objective was to understand the causal attributions of success and failure made by Grades 10-12 science learners and how these types of attributions affect the achievement of learners in science. This book may therefore serve as a useful framework and to shed some light on poor achievement of South African science learners. The target population included thirty high schools in two regions within the North-West Province of South Africa.