Stale Uiiiversity
1':nvit o~rmental control as expressed in the internal-external locus of control construct continues l o remain unchallenged as a major association variablc in academic achievement. Research studies are cited that suggest that internality may well be preferred to externality if one values power over one'h destiny. The writer proposes a peer-teaching-peer strategy that utilizes the low-achieving External as the tutor, a reversal of the usual procedure. The ,assumption is that the External must experience and perceive personal control over another child in order to begin orientation toward a more internal outlook.
The locus of control construct dates back to Rotter's (1943) social lcariiirig theory, which states that individuals may be distributed along an internal-external locus of control dimension depending upon the degree to which one accepts pcrsonal responsibility for what happens to him. For example, the individual ncar the internal end of the continuum would fcel that his skill, competence, intcllcct, and ability control his destiny; but for the individual at the external cnd, destiny is a matter of luck or chancc, or dependent upon significant othcrs. For the Internal, then, events arc a consequence of one's own actions and therefore under personal control; for the External, events are unrelated to one's own behaviors in certain situations and therefore beyond pcrsonal control.
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