THE EFFECT OF PERSONALITY TYPES ON STUDENT ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 STUDY BACKGROUND
Everyone is aware of the existence of personality, but no one knows what it is (Schneewind and Ruppert, 1998). It is undeniably true that putting human personality, which Goethe (1970) called the greatest happiness for children on the planet, into scientific terms is difficult. Personality influences a variety of important characteristics as well as how people interact with others. Human personality is made up of a variety of characteristics.
Personality can be measured through a series of items, typically questions about behavior and feelings, to which subjects must respond by agreeing or disagreeing with the question or statements. (Kline, 1993). Personality psychology became a distinct discipline in the social sciences in 1930.
During that time, many separate lines of inquiry for the field created by Allport (1937), Murry (1938), and Lewin (1939) came together (1935). Personality components, according to Mary Laurence F. Fortu (n.d.), are habits, attitudes, interests, values, principles, and mental capacity or intelligence.
Academic performance is a major concern for students, teachers, parents, school administrators, and the general public. Researchers have attempted to unravel the complexities surrounding academic performance. Psychologists have proposed numerous explanations for these performance disparities.
External factors such as school type, teaching methods, school location, instructional materials, teacher experience, and so on have received a lot of attention (WAEC, 2005). Many people spend a lot of money to get their children or themselves into good schools, and those who can afford it even invest in education abroad, believing that it will improve performance and give them an advantage in terms of finding gainful employment.
Opinions differ on why some students appear to excel academically while others appear to underachieve. Many psychologists have attempted to identify the major predictors of individual academic performance on a consistent basis. Intelligence, self-concept, gender, study habit, maturation, and home background, to name a few, have all been extensively researched as being responsible for academic performance.
Child rearing patterns, peer group influence, socioeconomic background, and learning environment are some other factors that have been studied in the past. Personality traits are another important factor that is thought to be responsible for students’ academic performance. Traits Theorists have attempted to identify the major personality traits. Sigmund Freud in the early 1900s, Gordon Allport (1961), Cattell (1967), Hans Eysenck (1985), Feldman (1994), McCrae and Costa (1987), and a slew of others are notable examples.
Many psychologists who have written on the subject have defined personality in various ways. Feldman (1994) claims in Daminabo (2008), Personality is the sum of the characteristics that distinguish people, or the consistency of a person’s behavior in different situations. In other words, it refers to the characteristics that the individual is known for.
Traits, on the other hand, are “persistent dimensions of personality characteristics that distinguish people from one another” (Colman, 2003). Traits are thus the sum total of stable characteristics in a person across different times and situations that distinguish him or her from others.
This is consistent with Mischel’s 1981 definition (in Agbakwuru, 2000), which defines personality traits as consistent differences between the behaviors of two or more people. It is also defined as “any distinguishable, relatively long-lasting way in which one person differs from another” (Guliford, 1959 in Agbakwuru 2000).
However, there is a growing interest in the big five personality traits and the role they play in student academic performance. The role that these characteristics play in students’ academic performance is of particular interest. The ‘Big Five’ personality traits are conscientiousness, agreeableness, openness to experience, extraversion, and locus of control. They are referred to by the acronym CAOEL.
These personality traits have an impact on students’ academic performance, either positively or negatively. As a result, parents, educators, psychologists, and counselors are all concerned about the rate of decline in academic standards.
Big Five, also known as CAOEL, has thus been investigated in order to find potential solutions to the problem of underachievement among school students. CAOEL stands for conscientiousness, agreeableness, openness, extraversion, and locus of control over experience.
McCrae and Costa (1980) conducted extensive research on these characteristics. A high Conscientiousness score indicates that the student is self-disciplined, careful, thorough, organized, and determined. Low scores on this trait indicate indiscipline, carelessness, disorganization, and apathy. A student who scores highly on this trait is expected to excel academically, and vice versa.
Someone who is agreeable is sympathetic, trusting, and cooperative. Students who score high on agreeableness are selfless, adaptable, and pleasant. Such students collaborate with others with little or no difficulty. Those who score low on this trait, on the other hand, find it difficult to get along with others.
In Daminabo, (2008), McCrae and Costa identified this as psychotics, which are people who are skeptical, unsympathetic, uncooperative, and rude. Low scores are expected to have a negative impact on academic performance.
As a result, the researcher is investigating the impact these personality traits have on students’ academic performance.
1.2 THE PROBLEM’S STATEMENT
Underachievement has taken on a concerning dimension in the Nigerian educational system. Students, desperate to succeed in any way, have devised a variety of illegal methods to succeed in examinations, even when they are not academically competent. Unfortunately, the system has cracked under the strain. Examination malpractice has steadily increased to the point where it appears to be an uncontrollable monster.
It is becoming increasingly difficult to equate people’s competence with their supposed academic performance as represented by their certificates. Many candidates are unable to defend their ostensibly honorable results. Of course, this has consistently resulted in an inability to compete effectively in the job market, which has become a serious problem.
Several factors have been investigated in the past as to the cause of this social malaise, but there appear to be indications that some hidden factors may be to blame that need to be unearthed. The researchers’ goal is to see if there is a way in which the big five personality traits can help, particularly from the perspective of the analytical and scientific approach of measurement and evaluation.
As a result, the researcher has decided to investigate this issue among the students. As a result, the purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of personality traits on students’ academic performance.
1.3 THE STUDY’S OBJECTIVES
As a result, the study’s objectives are as follows:
Determine whether there is a link between personality traits and student academic performance.
Determine the various types of personality traits that can affect a student’s academic performance.
To investigate the factors that influence students’ academic performance.
1.4 QUESTIONS FOR RESEARCH
Is there a link between personality traits and academic performance in students?
What are the various types of personality traits that can have an impact on a student’s academic performance?
What factors affect students’ academic performance?
1.5 HYPOTHESIS
HO: There is no significant relationship between personality traits and academic performance in students.
HA: There is a link between personality traits and student academic performance.
THE STUDY’S IMPORTANCE
This study will educate stakeholders in the education sector about how students’ individual personality traits can affect their academic performance. This research will also educate them on various types of personality traits and how these traits can affect students’ academic performance.
This study will contribute to the body of literature on the effect of personality traits on student academic performance, forming the empirical literature for future research in the field.
1.7 STUDY SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS
This study on the impact of personality traits on academic performance of students in Nigeria includes all students in Edo state, Nigeria, and examines their various personality traits and their effect on academic performance. The research will also provide an overview of the factors affecting students’ academic performance.
STUDY LIMITATIONS
Financial constraint- Inadequate funding tends to impede the researcher’s efficiency in locating relevant materials, literature, or information, as well as in the data collection process (internet, questionnaire and interview).
Time constraint- The researcher will conduct this study alongside other academic work. As a result, the amount of time spent on research will be reduced.
TERMS DEFINITION
Personality: the set of characteristics or qualities that define an individual’s distinct personality.
The extent to which a student, teacher, or institution has achieved their educational goals is referred to as performance.
A trait is a distinguishing quality or characteristic that belongs to a person.
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THE EFFECT OF PERSONALITY TYPES ON STUDENT ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE