ANALYSIS OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LOCUS OF CONTROL AND ACADEMIC SELF-EFFICACY AMONG NURSING STUDENTS AT GONABAD UNIVERSITY OF MEDICAL SCIENCES (2024)

The locus of control (LOC) refers to the extent to which an individual believes they can influence events in their life and their academic self-efficacy. It represents a person's confidence in their ability to succeed. LOC plays a significant role in university programs and various aspects of student behavior. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between LOC and academic self-efficacy among nursing students at Gonabad University of Medical Sciences in 2024.

A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in 2024 among 217 nursing students at Gonabad University of Medical Sciences. Data collection tools included two questionnaires based on Rotter's locus of control and Owen and Froman's academic self-efficacy. Data analysis employed the correlation coefficient and Student's T-test, with a significance level set at P < 0.05.

The results showed that male students had a higher external locus of control than female students. A significant and negative relationship was found between LOC and academic self-efficacy using Pearson's test (p = 0.001). Additionally, the independent t-test revealed no significant difference in LOC between the two genders (p = 0.920) and no significant difference in academic self-efficacy between the two genders (p = 0.251).

The locus of control is a significant and negative predictor of academic self-efficacy. Therefore, it is recommended that university planners pay special attention to strategies that promote an internal locus of control among students to enhance their academic self-efficacy.