Teacher Locus of Control

Abstract

The Teacher Locus of Control (T-LOC) scale, developed by Rose and Medway (1981), is a specialized psychological scale designed to assess the degree to which educators attribute the outcomes of student performance—both success and failure—to factors within their control (internal Locus of Control) versus factors external to their influence (external Locus of Control). It operationalizes the Locus of Control construct within the context of classroom dynamics and instruction. The instrument helps researchers and practitioners understand the motivational and attributional styles of teachers regarding professional outcomes.

Keywords

Teacher Locus of Control, T-LOC, Locus of Control, Attribution Theory, Teacher Efficacy, Student Outcomes, Educational Psychology, Psychological Measurement, Rose and Medway.

Authors

Jeffrey S. Rose, Frederic J. Medway.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the T-LOC scale is to measure teachers’ beliefs regarding their influence over instructional and behavioral outcomes in the classroom. By distinguishing between internal and external attributions for student success and failure, the instrument provides crucial insight into a teacher’s perceived sense of professional responsibility and efficacy. A higher score on the internal dimension suggests that the teacher believes their own effort, skill, and teaching methodology are the primary determinants of student achievement.

This measurement is highly relevant for research in educational research and professional development, as a teacher’s explanatory style profoundly impacts their decision-making, persistence, and reaction to challenging student performance data. Teachers with a strong internal locus tend to adopt more proactive and persistent instructional strategies when faced with difficulties.

Construct

The T-LOC scale measures the psychological construct of Locus of Control (LOC), originally conceptualized by Julian Rotter, and adapts it specifically to the domain of teaching and learning outcomes. A teacher with an Internal Locus of Control believes that student outcomes (grades, behavior, learning) are primarily due to their own actions, effort, and chosen teaching strategies. Conversely, a teacher with an External Locus of Control attributes these outcomes to external forces, such as inherent student aptitude, family background, administrative constraints, or simply luck.

The scale items are structured to capture distinct dimensions of internal control based on the valence of the outcome: attribution for positive outcomes (I+) and attribution for negative outcomes (I-). Measuring these specific attributions helps researchers understand how teachers process both success (taking credit, I+) and failure (taking responsibility, I-) experiences within the theoretical framework of Attribution Theory.

Validity

Initial studies established the construct validity of the T-LOC scale by demonstrating its theoretically expected relationships with related psychological constructs, such as general teacher efficacy, burnout, and job satisfaction. Researchers have consistently found that teachers scoring higher on the internal control dimension typically report higher levels of professional satisfaction and are less prone to indicators of emotional exhaustion.

The instrument exhibits strong face validity, as its forced-choice format presents clear, dichotomous explanations for common classroom events, thereby ensuring that the instrument directly measures the intended attributional dimension in a highly relevant educational context. Further validation has often involved correlating T-LOC scores with observed teaching behaviors and actual student achievement measures.

Reliability

The reliability of the T-LOC scale has been documented as acceptable across various studies since its inception. Internal consistency, typically assessed using Cronbach’s Alpha, confirms that the 25 paired statements reliably measure the same underlying construct of teacher attributional style. The scale is designed to ensure that all items contribute cohesively to the overall measure of internal versus external control.

Furthermore, evidence of test-retest reliability suggests that a teacher’s perceived locus of control regarding classroom events is a relatively stable characteristic over time, rather than a transient state influenced by immediate, temporary fluctuations in classroom climate or student behavior. This stability supports its use as a measure of a core personality or professional trait.

Factor Analysis

Factor analysis of the T-LOC scale generally supports a clear structure consistent with attribution theory. While some instruments related to Locus of Control differentiate between internal factors that are stable (ability) versus unstable (effort), the T-LOC primarily focuses on separating control attributed to the teacher (internal) versus control attributed to external sources (students, environment, etc.).

The analysis confirms that the scale effectively measures two primary, distinct factors: the degree of Internal Control (combining I+ and I- items) and the degree of External Control. The balanced inclusion of items related to both positive (success) and negative (failure) outcomes ensures comprehensive coverage of the teacher’s attributional domain, allowing researchers to examine potential differential responses to success versus failure.

Instrument

Test Type: Forced-choice, self-report psychological scale.

Format: 25 paired, dichotomous statements. Respondents select the option (a or b) that best explains the described classroom scenario. Each item forces a choice between an internal attribution (I+ or I-) and an external attribution.

Language Available: English (Original).

Population Group: Professional Teachers and Student Teachers.

Age Group: Adults (typically 22 years and older).

Population Details: Educators working across various grade levels (e.g., elementary, middle, and secondary school) involved in direct instructional roles.

Test Methodology: Administration can be done via paper-and-pencil or digital platforms. Scoring involves summing the number of internal choices selected. Higher total scores indicate a stronger internal Locus of Control regarding educational outcomes.

Keywords

Teacher efficacy, Internal control, External control, Attribution, Educational research instrument, Classroom management, Student motivation, Psychometrics, Forced-choice inventory.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not specified/Available.

Affiliation Email addresses: Not specified/Available.

Correspondence Address: Not specified/Available (Based on 1981 publication).

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The scale was initially published in 1981. It is often utilized in academic research settings and may be available without charge for non-commercial use, provided proper citation is given. Researchers should verify current usage policies with the authors or institutions associated with the scale’s distribution, such as those maintained by Dr. Anita Woolfolk Hoy. The original PDF containing the instrument items and scoring information can be downloaded here: http://anitawoolfolkhoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Tchr-Loc-Control-17ps11k.pdf.

Reference’s

• Rose, J.S., & Medway, F.J., (1981). Measurement of teachers’ beliefs in their control over student outcome. Journal of Educational Research, 74, 185-190.

• Additional resources related to the instrument are available at: http://anitawoolfolkhoy.com/instruments/ and http://u.osu.edu/hoy.17/research/instruments/.

Items of the Teacher Locus of Control

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

1. When the grades of your students improve‚ it is more likely .30

   • I+ a. because you found ways to motivate the students‚ or

   • b. because the students were trying harder to do well.

2. Suppose you had difficulties in setting up learning centers for students in your classroom. Would this probably happen .41

   • a. because you lacked the appropriate materials‚ or

   • I- b. because you didn’t spend enough time in developing activities to go into the center?

3. Suppose your students did not appear to be benefiting from a more individualized method of instruction. The reason for this would probably be .45

   • I- a. because you were ha‎ving some problems managing this type of instruction‚ or

   • b. because the students in your class were such that they needed a more traditional kind of approach.

4. When a student gets a better grade on his report card than he usually gets‚ is it .38

   • a. because the student was putting more effort into his schoolwork‚ or

   • I+ b. because you found better ways of teaching that student?

5. If the students in your class became disruptive and noisy when you left them alone in the room for five minutes‚ would this happen .41

   • I- a. because you didn’t leave them interesting work to do while you were gone‚ or

   • b. because the students were more noisy that day than they usually are?

6. When some of your students fail a math test‚ it is more likely .31

   • a. because they weren’t attending to the lesson‚ or

   • I- b. because you didn’t use enough examples to illustrate the concept.

7. Suppose you were successful at using learning centers with your class of 30 student. Would this occur .29

   • I+ a. because you worked hard at It‚ or

   • b. because your students easily conformed to the new classroom procedure?

8. When a student pulls his or her grade up from a “C” to a “B‚” it is more likely

   • I+ a. because you came up with an idea to motivate the student or

   • b. because the student was trying harder to do well.

9. Suppose you are teaching a student a particular concept in arithmetic or math and the student has trouble learning it. Would this happen .43

   • a. because the student wasn’t able to understand it‚ or

   • b. because you couldn’t explain it very well?

10. When a student does better in school than he usually does‚ is it more likely .36

    • a. because the student was trying harder or

    • I+ b. because you tried hard to encourage the student to do better.

11. If you couldn’t keep your class quiet‚ it would probably be .51

    • a. because the students came to school more rowdy than usual‚ or

    • I- b. because you were so frustrated that you weren’t able to settle them down.

12. Suppose a play put on by your class was voted the “Best Class Play of the Year” by students and faculty in your school. Would it be .25

    • I+ a. because you put in a lot of time and effort as the director‚ or

    • b. because the students were cooperative?

13. Suppose it were the week before Easter vacation and you were ha‎ving some trouble keeping order in your classroom. This would more likely happen .39

    • I- a. Because you weren’t putting extra effort into keeping the students under control‚ or

    • b. because the students were more uncontrollable than usual.

14. If one of your students couldn’t do a class assignment‚ would it be .46

    • a. because the student wasn’t paying attention during the class lesson‚ or

    • I- b. because you gave the student an assignment that wasn’t on his or her level?

15. Suppose you wanted to teach a series of lessons on Mexico‚ but the lessons didn’t turn out as well as you had expected. This would more likely happen .41

    • a. because the students weren’t that interested in learning about Mexico‚ or

    • I- b. because you didn’t put enough effort into developing the lessons.

16. Suppose a student who does not typically participate in class begins to volunteer his or her answers. This would more likely happen .22

    • a. because the student finally encountered a topic of interest to him or her‚ or

    • I+ b. because you tried hard to encourage the student to volunteer his or her answers.

17. Suppose one of your students cannot remain on task for a particular assignment. Would this be more likely to happen .36

    • I- a. because you gave the student a task that was somewhat less interesting than most tasks‚ or

    • b. because the student was unable to concentrate on his or her schoolwork that day?

18. Suppose you were unable to devise an instructional system as requested by the principal‚ which would accommodate the “needs of Individual students” in your class. This would most likely happen .41

    • a. because there were too many students in your class‚ or

    • I- b. because you didn’t have enough knowledge or experience with individualized instructional programs.

19. If the students in your class perform better than they usually do on a test‚ would this happen .28

    • a. because the students studied a lot for the test‚ or

    • I+ b. because you did a good job of teaching the subject area.

20. When the performance of a student in your class appears to be slowly deteriorating‚ it is usually .66

    • I- a. because you weren’t trying hard enough to motivate him or her‚ or

    • b. because the student was putting less effort into his or her schoolwork.

21. Suppose a new student was assigned to your class and this student had a difficult time making friends with his or her classmates. Would it be more likely .51

    • a. that most of the other students did not make an effort to be friends with the new student‚ or

    • I- b. that you were not trying hard enough to encourage the other students to be more friendly toward the newcomer?

22. If the student in your class performed better on a standardized achievement test given at the end of the year compared to students you had last year‚ it would probably be .35

    • I+ a. because you put more effort into teaching this year‚ or

    • b. because this year’s class of students were somewhat smarter than last year’s.

23. Suppose‚ one day‚ you find yourself reprimanding one of your students more often than usual. Would this be more likely to happen .25

    • a. because that student was misbeha‎ving more than usual that day‚ or

    • I- b. because you were somewhat less tolerant?

24. Suppose one of your underachievers does his her homework better than usual. This would probably happen or .37

    • a. because the student tried hard to do the assignment‚ or

    • I+ b. because you tried hard to explain how to do the assignment.

25. Suppose one of your students began to do better schoolwork than he usually does. Would this happen .37

    • I+ a. because you put much effort into helping the student do better‚ or

    • b. because the student was trying harder to do well in school?