There is a growing trend around universities in the globe
to ensure high ranking and quality outputs measured in
terms of quality graduates being produced. To achieve
such aspiration university teaching and learning must
take into account students’ personality characteristics.
The University of Yarmouk is no exception.Educational
psychologists and theorists of learning have discussed
the varied factors influencing academic achievement.
The factors included both academic and non academic
factors. The latter included the constructs of internal and
external locus of control in learning .Internals believe
that outcomes in their lives depend on their own actions
and choices whilst externals believe that outcomes
depend on the vagaries of chance, fate or powerful other
people [1].
Locus of control refers to an individual's generalized
expectations concerning where control over subsequent
events resides. In other words, who or what is
responsible for what happens. Locus of control is an
individual's belief system regarding the causes of his or
her experiences and the factors to which that person
attributes success of failure. It can be assessed with the
Rotter Internal-External Locus of Control Scale. Locus
of control can be divided into two separate sources of
control: internal and external. People with an internal
locus of control believe that they control their own
destiny. They also believe that their own experiences are
controlled by their own skill or efforts. An example
would be "The more I study, the better grades I get" [2].
On the other hand, people who tend to have an external
locus of control tend to attribute their experiences to
fate, chance, or luck.