ATTITUDE TOWARDS SCHOOLING AND ACHIEVEMENT OF

TRUANT AND NON-TRUANT HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

Synopsis of the Dissertation submitted to Tamil Nadu Teachers Education University
in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of the degree of
MASTER OF EDUCATION

Investigator

N.KARTHIGAI SELVI
Reg.No.M 1311271

Research Supervisor

Mrs. A. Sowmiya,
Asst. Professor in Education

MANGAYARKARASI COLLEGE OF EDUCATION FOR WOMEN

Accredited by NAAC with B Grade

Madurai.

MAY 2014

INTRODUCTION
NEED FOR THE STUDY
For some children, school with its strict teachers, lunchroom bullies and
insurmountable piles of homework inspires a fear of weekdays instead of a love of
learning. Many students view education as an obligation rather than a privilege, and fail
to fully engage in their studies as a result. By promoting a positive attitude toward
school, we can help student gain enthusiasm for their scholastic journey, acquire a
passion for knowledge and ultimately become lifelong learners. Hence the researcher
wants to know the level of attitude towards schooling among truant and non-truant high
school students and how attitude affects achievement among truant and non-truant high
school students as a valuable study.
BACKGROUND OF THE PROBLEM
Investigator had studied educational psychology in B.Ed. and M.Ed. course and
had experience in school teaching and interactions with the students to know the level
of attitude towards their schooling and also during her teaching practice some students
were not attending the school regularly. So the researcher wants to know the level of
attitude towards schooling among truant and non-truant high school students and how
attitude affects achievement among truant and non-truant high school students Hence
the present investigation is entitled ATTITUDE TOWARDS SCHOOLING AND
ACHIEVEMENT

OF

TRUANT

AND

NON-TRUANT

HIGH

SCHOOL

STUDENTS.
TERMS AND DEFINITIONS
Attitude towards schooling

- refers to the expression of favor or disfavor

towards the school by the high school
students.

Achievement

- refers to marks secured by the high school

students in Half-yearly examination.

Truant students

- refer to the students who is regularly absent

from school without permission.

Non-truant students

- refer to the students who is regularly attend

the school

High school students

- refer to the students who are studying IX

standard in State Board System Schools in
Madurai District.

VARIABLES OF THE STUDY

The variables involved in this study are as follows:
Dependent Variables:
1. Attitude towards schooling
2. Achievement
Independent Variables:
1. Sex

: Male / Female

2. School kind

: Unisex / Co- Ed

3. School locality

: Rural / Urban

4. Medium of Instruction

: Tamil / English

5. School Management

: Government / Self-financing

6. Attending School

: Regularly / Not Regularly

7. Intimate Friends

: Few / Many

8. Parents Employment

: Single Employment / Both Employment

OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

1. To measure the level of Attitude towards schooling of the students.
2. To measure the level of Attitude towards schooling of the truant students.
3. To measure the level of Attitude towards schooling of the non-truant students.
4. To measure the level of Achievement of the students.
5. To measure the level of Achievement of the truant students.
6. To measure the level of Achievement of the non-truant students.

7. To find out, whether there is a significant influence of select independent

variables viz., Sex, School Kind, School Locality, Medium of Instruction,
school Management, Attending School, Intimate Friends, Parents Employment
on the dependent variable Attitude towards schooling of truant students.
8. To find out, whether there is a significant influence of select independent
variables viz., Sex, School Kind, School Locality, Medium of Instruction,
school Management, Attending School, Intimate Friends, Parents Employment
on the dependent variable Attitude towards schooling of non-truant students.
9. To find out the relationship between Attitude towards schooling and
achievement among the students.
10. To find out the relationship between Attitude towards schooling and
achievement in among the truant students.
11. To find out the relationship between Attitude towards schooling and
achievement among the non-truant students.
HYPOTHESES OF THE STUDY
The following hypotheses are formulated for the present study:
1. High School Students have above the average level of attitude towards
schooling.
2. Truant students have below the average level of attitude towards schooling.
3. Non-truant students have above the average level of attitude towards schooling.
4. High School Students have above the average level of achievement.
5. Truant students have below the average level of achievement.
6. Non-truant students have above the average level of achievement.
7. There is a significant difference in the attitude towards schooling among truant
students in terms of sex.
8. There is a significant difference in the attitude towards schooling among truant
students in terms of school kind.

9. There is a significant difference in the attitude towards schooling among truant

students in terms of school locality.
10. There is a significant difference in the attitude towards schooling among truant
students in terms of medium of instruction.
11. There is a significant difference in the attitude towards schooling among truant
students in terms of school management.
12. There is a significant difference in the attitude towards schooling among truant
students in terms of intimate friends.
13. There is a significant difference in the attitude towards schooling among truant
students in terms of parents employment.
14. There is a significant difference in the attitude towards schooling among nontruant students in terms of sex.
15. There is a significant difference in the attitude towards schooling among nontruant students in terms of school kind.
16. There is a significant difference in the attitude towards schooling among nontruant students in terms of school locality.
17. There is a significant difference in the attitude towards schooling among nontruant students in terms of medium of instruction.
18. There is a significant difference in the attitude towards schooling among nontruant students in terms of school management.
19. There is a significant difference in the attitude towards schooling among nontruant students in terms of intimate friends.
20. There is a significant difference in the attitude towards schooling among nontruant students in terms of parents employment.

21. There is a significant positive relationship between Attitude towards schooling

and achievement among the students.
22. There is a significant negative relationship between Attitude towards schooling
and achievement among the truant students.
23. There is a significant positive relationship between Attitude towards schooling
and achievement among the non-truant students.
METHODOLOGY- IN BRIEF
Design

: Descriptive

Method

: Normative

Technique

: Survey

SAMPLE
A sample of 300 students studying in high schools in Madurai District
served as the subjects of the study.
TOOLS USED
A) Personal Information Schedule
B) Scale on Attitude towards schooling (Constructed and Standardized by
Sukumaran, S., (2010))
STATISTICAL TREATMENT
1. t test between the large independent samples.
2. Pearsons Product Moment Correlation
HYPOTHESES VERIFICATION
1. High School Students have above the average level of attitude towards
schooling. Accepted.
2. Truant students have below the average level of attitude towards schooling.
Accepted.
3. Non-truant students have above the average level of attitude towards schooling.
Accepted.

4. High School Students have above the average level of achievement. Accepted.
5. Truant students have below the average level of achievement. Rejected.
6. Non-truant students have above the average level of achievement. Accepted.
7. There is a significant difference in the attitude towards schooling among truant
students in terms of sex. Rejected.
8. There is a significant difference in the attitude towards schooling among truant
students in terms of school kind. Accepted.
9. There is a significant difference in the attitude towards schooling among truant
students in terms of school locality. Rejected.
10. There is a significant difference in the attitude towards schooling among truant
students in terms of medium of instruction. Accepted.
11. There is a significant difference in the attitude towards schooling among truant
students in terms of school management. Rejected.
12. There is a significant difference in the attitude towards schooling among truant
students in terms of intimate friends. Accepted.
13. There is a significant difference in the attitude towards schooling among truant
students in terms of parents employment. Rejected.
14. There is a significant difference in the attitude towards schooling among nontruant students in terms of sex. Accepted.
15. There is a significant difference in the attitude towards schooling among nontruant students in terms of school kind. Accepted.
16. There is a significant difference in the attitude towards schooling among nontruant students in terms of school locality. Rejected.
17. There is a significant difference in the attitude towards schooling among nontruant students in terms of medium of instruction. Accepted.

18. There is a significant difference in the attitude towards schooling among nontruant students in terms of school management. Accepted.
19. There is a significant difference in the attitude towards schooling among nontruant students in terms of intimate friends. Rejected.
20. There is a significant difference in the attitude towards schooling among nontruant students in terms of parents employment. Accepted.
21. There is a significant positive relationship between Attitude towards schooling
and achievement among the students. Accepted.
22. There is a significant negative relationship between Attitude towards schooling
and achievement among the truant students. Accepted.
23. There is a significant positive relationship between Attitude towards schooling
and achievement among the non-truant students. Accepted.
CONCLUSIONS
1. Attitude towards schooling among the students is above the average level.
2. Attitude towards schooling among the truant students is below the average level.
3. Attitude towards schooling among the non-truant students is above the average
level.
4. Attitude towards schooling of the truant students is dependent upon
a. School kind
b. Medium of instruction
c. Intimate friends
5. Attitude towards schooling of the truant students is independent upon
a. Sex
b. School locality
c. School management

d. Parents employment
6. Attitude towards schooling of the truant students in favour of the students
a. Who are studying in unisex schools
b. Who are studying in Tamil medium schools
c. Who are having many friends
7. Attitude towards schooling of the non-truant students is dependent upon
a. School kind
b. Medium of instruction
c. School Management
d. Parents employment
8. Attitude towards schooling of the truant students is independent upon
a. Sex
b. School locality
c. Intimate friends
9. Attitude towards schooling of the truant students in favour of the students
a. Who are studying in unisex schools
b. Who are studying in Tamil medium schools
c. Who has single parent employed
10. Achievement among the students is above the average level.
11. Achievement among the truant students is below the average level.
12. Achievement among the non-truant students is above the average level.
13. There is a significant positive relationship between attitude towards schooling
and achievement of students.
14. There is a significant negative relationship between attitude towards schooling
and achievement of truant students.

15. There is a significant positive relationship between attitude towards schooling

and achievement of non-truant students.
EDUCATIONAL IMPLICATIONS
Attitude towards schooling plays a vital role in the students achievement. One who
has high Attitude towards schooling get more achievement than one who has low level
of attitude towards schooling as well as truant and non-truant students In this study
reveals that the truant students, who are studying in unisex schools, who have many
intimate friends, who studying in Tamil medium schools, who have home in rural areas
and who attend school regularly have favourable attitude towards school than their
counterparts.
Non-truant students, who are studying in unisex schools, who are studying in Tamil
medium schools, who has single parent employed have favourable attitude towards
schooling than their counterparts.
This study also reveals that the students, who are attending school regularly have
more achievement than their counterparts. Hence they should be facilitated through
proper training for developing their favourable Attitude towards schooling and
achievement.
SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH
The present study has enormous scope for the following further studies.
1. The replica of the present study with the other type of schools.
2. The replica of the present study with the other variables
3. The replica of the present study with the college teachers.

4. The replica of the present study with the other districts.