Characteristics Of Big Five Personality Traits Education Essay Example

and play a crucial role in how others perceive them. Pervin and John (2005) argue that personality comprises a distinct set of traits that define an individual's emotions, thought processes, and behavior. Each person is unique and possesses stable traits that explain behavioral patterns across different situations. Recently, there has been increasing worry about the academic performance of high school students.

There is currently a strong emphasis on improving the quality of science education (Morrel; A; Lederman, 1998). McCrae and Costa's NEO Five Factor Model or "Big Five Model" (1990) consists of Extraversion, Neuroticism, Conscientiousness, Openness to Experience, and Agreeableness. Recent studies indicate that Big Five traits can explain a moderate percentage of the variation in academic achievement (Blickle, 1996; Rolfhus & A; Ackerman, 1999). The relationship between Extraversion and academic achievement shows that extraverted students perform better in primary schools while introverted students perform well in secondary schools and universities (Eysenck & A; Cookson, 1969). Introverts benefit from written tests while extroverts have an advantage in oral tests (Chamorro-Premuzic & A; Furnham, 2003a; Furnham & A; Medhurst, 1995).

• Neurosis, which is the status of fright and jitteriness in nerve-racking conditions such as exams (Hembree, 1988; Siepp, 1991), can lead to a poor self-concept (Wells & Matthews, 1994) and low self-estimated intelligence (Furnham, Chamorro-Premuzic, and Moutafi, under review).
• In a study by Chamorro-Premuzie and Furnham (2003), it was found that Neuroticism may impair academic accomplishment or have no significant associations with academic accomplishment (Puklek Levpu [scaron][caron]ek & Zupan [caron]I[caron], 2009a).
• On the other hand, openness to experience is an important predictor of academic accomplishment (Bratko et al., 2006; Laidra et al., 2007).

The text identifies a positive relationship between openness to see and amenity with academic accomplishment (Lounsbury et al., 2003; Farsides & Woodfield, 2003). It also suggests that conscientiousness is associated with academic achievement in school, as careful, organized, hardworking, and achievement-oriented students are likely to succeed in academic settings (Noftle & Robins, 2007). Additionally, attitudes are described as the feelings, beliefs, and values individuals hold about an object. In the context of chemistry, attitudes may refer to enthusiasm about chemistry, perceptions of chemistry, and the contribution of chemistry to society or scientists (Osborne et al., 2003).

Therefore, the role of attitude in promoting long-lasting learning and determining students' academic achievement is crucial. Affectional traits, including motivation, interest, confidence, enjoyment, significance, anxiety, and achievement motivation, are considered important aspects of attitude. In this study, we focus on these seven affectional traits. When examining the literature on attitude and chemistry achievement, conflicting outcomes are found (Shibley et al., 2003; Turner and Lindsay, 2003). Some argue that there is a weak correlation between attitude and achievement, while others claim a strong positive correlation. Wei-nburgh's (1995) meta-analysis of the research suggests that the relation between attitude and achievement is only moderate.

The previous studies indicate that the impact of affectionate aspects of attitude on academic achievement has been shown. In a study by Skaalvik and Rankin (1995) published in Egitimidergisi (2007), it was found that motivation is correlated with academic achievement. According to Ryan, Connell, and Deci (1985), academic achievement is more likely to occur when learning is self-directed and students are motivated. Additionally, researchers have discovered that motivation leads to involvement in academic tasks, which is connected to achievement (DeCharms,

1984; Dweck, 1986).

Interest is an important aspect of cognitive engagement, learning, and achievement (Ainley, Hidi, & Berndorff, 2002; Pintrich & Schunk, 2002). Krapp discusses interest from two perspectives: personal and situational. Personal interest is specific to a subject and lasts over time (Schiefele 1991). On the other hand, situational interest is aroused based on the interestingness of an event or object and can be influenced by teachers (Schraw, Flowerday, & Lehman 2001). Interest is linked to students' dedication, goals, and depth of learning (Hidi & Renninger, 2006). Competence plays a role in increasing students' interests, so even if they are initially uninterested in a topic or activity, they may develop interests as they experience success.

(Stipek, 2002). Whitfield (1979) discovered that students have the least enjoyment in chemistry and physics. Can & Boz (2012) conducted a study on the attitudes of 9th and 10th graders towards chemistry, revealing a significant difference in how they perceive its "enjoyment" and "importance". Motivation plays a crucial role in academic achievement (Camara, 1986), as success not only relies on the desire to succeed but also on expectations of success and fear of failure. Students tend to dedicate more effort to their studies when they believe they have a reasonable chance of succeeding rather than perceiving their goals as unattainable (Atkinson, 1964).

Previous research has shown that gender has an impact on academic performance in the field of science. Various studies have demonstrated a significant correlation between the achievements of male and female students in science (Schibeci and Riley 1986, Weinburgh 1995). Investigations conducted in different countries have revealed that boys generally outperform girls in science (Pinchas 1988, Wang and Staver 1995).

While the difference in science test scores based on gender is usually not large, recent research has observed a change in this pattern. Some studies have found no differences between genders in terms of scientific accomplishments (Ventura 1992, Calsambis 1995), while others have shown girls surpassing boys in their scientific abilities (Young and Fraser 1990, Soyibo 1999).

Fraser-Abder (1990) conducted a study in Trinidad to investigate the impact of gender, school-type (single-sex or co-ed schools, private denominational or authorities schools), parental business, and socioeconomic position on scientific discipline achievement. The results showed that girls performed better than boys on the scientific discipline test. Zappala (2002) states that the type of school a child attends influences their academic success. Sentamu (2003) defines schools as social institutions where individuals gather to share educational experiences, which can have positive or negative effects on learners. Additionally, Dills (2006) and Owens (1999) provide evidence supporting the idea that parents' level of education is positively associated with their children's academic achievement.

Considine and Zappala (2002) and Kwesiga (2002) have found a relationship between students' academic performance and the school sector, regardless of whether it is public or private. According to Pianta ; Egeland (1994), as well as Pianta et al. (1990) and Pianta et al. (1997), parents who contribute to shaping learning experiences and providing support in their children's early years can prepare them for starting school and lay a strong foundation that allows them to gain advantages from educational activities.

Research has shown that the behavior of parents and the activities they do together as a family can impact a child's academic motivation and behavior (Chen, Lee, & Stevenson, 1996; De Garmo, Forgatch,

& Martinez, 1999; Grolnick & Slowiaczek, 1994; Heiss, 1996). The authoritative parenting style has been found to have positive effects on how students approach challenges in school (Bradley et al., 2000; Gutman & Eccles, 1999). The interest and attitude that students have towards a subject are crucial for their success. Students who select courses based on their own interests are thought to be more motivated to learn compared to those who are placed in classes without any input. High motivation is a factor that can lead students to achieve better outcomes.

Studies conducted by various authors have revealed that motivated students tend to perform better academically compared to unmotivated ones (Bank and Finlapson, 1980; Broussard and Garrison, 2004; Sandra, 2002). The attitude towards Chemistry and personality traits of students vary over time and impact their academic achievements differently. Previous research demonstrates that attitudes and personality traits towards Chemistry achievement are influenced by cultural factors. Cultural variations exist both between and within countries.

Hence, it is logical to assume that there are significant variations in students' achievement in chemistry across different regions of the world. Gender roles differ in various cultures, suggesting that chemistry performance may be influenced by gender. Chemistry performance is a major concern for educators and is sometimes studied alongside emotional traits, personality, and academic achievement in chemistry education.

Previous studies in Chemistry education have individually explored the impact of Affective Characteristics and Achievement, as well as Personality and Achievement. However, there is a lack of research examining all three factors simultaneously. Previous findings suggest that both personality traits and attitude are linked to academic success. Yet, there is limited knowledge regarding how the combination of

personality traits and attitude affects students' performance in Chemistry. Thus, this study aims to address this gap by directly investigating the connection between personality, attitude, and academic achievement.

The purpose of the study was to investigate three primary research inquiries: (1) The impact of the Big 5 personality traits and attitude on Chemistry academic achievement for high school science students. (2) The influence of demographic factors such as age, gender, family type, school sector, class preference, and parental education levels on Chemistry academic achievement for high school science students. (3) Any connections among Affective Characteristics of Attitude. To address these questions, a reliable and valid questionnaire was developed to assess students' personality traits and attitudes towards Chemistry achievement. Instead of using existing attitude and personality questionnaires from literature, a new questionnaire specifically tailored to align with the curriculum and conditions in Pakistani schools was created. The questionnaire followed a Likert scale format.

The text below explains the process of preparing a questionnaire for a study. The questionnaire consisted of 37 statements and was developed by the investigators. It addressed two main factors, namely personality and attitude. Additionally, six demographic variables were included to gather background information from the respondents. All participants were required to rate each statement on a five-point scale, with '5' indicating strong agreement and '1' indicating strong disagreement.

'The evaluations for all statements on each graduated scale are added together, and a higher score indicates more prominent personality traits. All points were written in a 'structured alternate format' style to reduce the tendency to provide socially desirable responses (Harter, 1982). A pilot test was conducted on a sample of 50 students. The reliability

of the research instrument was 0.84 and the questionnaire was moderately difficult. The authors obtained permission from school administrators to conduct the study. Individual communication sessions were held with school counselors (or classroom teachers) to clarify the purpose of this survey and explain the research instrument.'

Students were recruited through voluntary engagement, with 780 pupils participating in this survey. The research workers administered the Questionnaire to accepting pupils during classes, after explaining the purpose of the study and the procedures for completing the Questionnaire.

Students' understanding of the study was confirmed and any inquiries about the study were addressed. The data was analyzed quantitatively using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences). The questionnaire regarding personality traits and attitudes towards chemistry was subjected to mean and one-way ANOVA testing. Figure 1 displays a significant finding related to the impact of Gender and Family Type on students' Chemistry Achievement. The figure demonstrates that male students have an average value of 3.66 and excel in chemistry compared to female students who have an average value of 3.60. Additionally, students from a "Nuclear Family" background have an average value of 3.65 and outperform students from a "Joint family" system who have an average value of 3.62.

Figure 1: Average values of "Class", "Gender", and "Family Type" based on secondary school pupils' "Chemistry Achievement". Figure 2 shows an important result of School Sector on students' Chemistry Achievement. The figure indicates that the "Private school" shows the highest average value of 4.14 for "Chemistry Achievement", while the "Government School" shows the lowest average value of 2.78 for Chemistry Achievement and the "Semi-Government School" shows a moderate mean value of 3.98 for Chemistry Achievement. Figure

2 displays mean values of "School Sector" based on secondary school pupils' "Chemistry Achievement".

Consequence of Father Qualification on students' Chemistry Achievement

Figure 3 indicates that the students whose "Father's qualification" is "Masters" show the highest average value of 4.17 for "Chemistry Achievement", and the students whose fathers are "Uneducated" show the lowest average value of 2.34 for Chemistry Achievement compared to the students whose fathers' qualifications are "Matric", "Intermediate", "Graduation", and "Masters".

Figure 3 depicts the positive impact of Father Qualification on Chemistry Achievement for secondary school students. It displays the mean values of "Father Qualification" based on the students' "Chemistry Achievement". Figure 4 further demonstrates this effect by showing that students whose mothers have a "Masters" qualification exhibit the highest average Chemistry Achievement score of 4.21. On the other hand, students whose mothers are "Uneducated" have the lowest average Chemistry Achievement score of 2.37, in comparison to students whose mothers have "Matric", "Intermediate", "Graduation", and "Masters" qualifications. Ultimately, Figure 4 underscores the importance of Mother Qualification on secondary school pupils' Chemistry Achievement.

Figure 4 displays the Mean values of "Mother Qualification" with respect to the Chemistry Achievement of Secondary School students. Figure 5 demonstrates a crucial outcome regarding the Choice of Course and its impact on Students' Chemistry Achievement. The figure highlights that students who opt for chemistry for the purpose of "Better Academic Accomplishment" exhibit the highest average value of 3.93 for their Chemistry Achievement, whereas students who choose chemistry "Out of Interest" demonstrate the lowest average value of 3.36 for their Chemistry Achievement. Additionally, Figure 5 exhibits the Mean values of "Choice of Course" based on the Chemistry Achievement of secondary school students.

Consequence of Personality Traits on Students' Chemistry Achievement

Table 3: One manner ANOVA and Tukey station hoc for multiple comparings of "Chemistry Achievement" on secondary school pupils' "Personality trait"

Table 3 indicates that there is no important consequence of secondary school pupil's Personality trait "Extraversion", "Agreeableness", "Neurosis" on "Chemistry Achievement". Table 3 also reveals that there is a significant consequence of secondary school pupil's Personality trait "Conscientiousness" on "Chemistry Achievement". From the Tukey Post Hoc Test of Multiple Comparisons, it is evident that the pupils who got Marks 61% -70% and 71% -80% show more "Conscientiousness" than the pupils who got Marks 51% -60%.

Table 3 also specifies that there is a significant consequence of secondary school pupil's Personality trait "Openness to Experience" on "Chemistry Achievement". The Tukey Post Hoc Test of Multiple Comparisons reveals that the pupils who got Marks 50% & below, 51% -60%, 61% -70%, and 71% -80% show more "Openness to Experience" than the pupils who got Marks 91% -100%.Table 3 additionally demonstrates that there is a significant effect of "Personality" on "Chemistry Achievement" among secondary school pupils. According to the Tukey Post Hoc Test of Multiple Comparisons, students scoring between 71% and 80% exhibit greater "Personality" compared to those scoring

between 51% and 60%.

• 81 % -90 % Vs.51 % -60 %
• 81 % -90 % Vs. 61 % -70 %
• 91 % -100 % Vs. 50 % ; A ; below 50 %
• 91 % -100 % Vs.61 % -70 %
• 91 % -100 % Vs. 71 % -80 %

Table 4: One manner ANOVA and Tukey station hoc for multiple comparings of `` Chemistry Achievement '' on secondary school pupils ' `` Affective Characteristics of Attitude ''

Consequence of Attitude on Students ' Chemistry Achievement

Table 4 also indicates that there is no significant effect of secondary school pupil's `` Interest '', `` Enjoyment '', `` Assurance '', `` Importance '', and `` Anxiety '' of Chemistry lessons. Table 4 indicates that there is a significant effect of secondary school pupil's `` Motivation '' towards Chemistry on `` Chemistry Achievement ''. Tukey Post Hoc Test of Multiple Comparisons it is apparent that the pupils who got Marks 91-100% show more `` Motivation '' as compared to pupils who got 50% ; A ; below 50%, 61% -70%, and 71% -80% Marks.

Table 4 presents the impact of secondary school students' "Achievement Motivation" on their "Chemistry Achievement". The Tukey Post Hoc Test of Multiple Comparisons revealed that students who scored between 81% and 90% showed higher "Achievement Motivation" compared to those who scored between 51% and 60%, as well as 61% and 70%. Additionally, the table indicates that there is no significant influence of

students' "Attitude" towards Chemistry on their "Chemistry Achievement".

Inter-Relationship Between Different Sub-Factors of Affectional Attitude

Table 1 demonstrates a strong positive relationship (r-ratio of 0.765) between secondary school students' "Interest" in chemistry and their "Enjoyment" in learning chemistry lessons.

The r-ratio (0.694) shows a strong positive relationship between secondary school pupils' "Interest" in chemical science and their "Motivation" in learning chemical science lessons. Similarly, the r-ratio (0.623) represents a strong positive relationship between the pupils' "Interest" in chemical science and their "Assurance" in learning chemical science lessons. On the other hand, the r-ratio (0.574) does not have a significant relationship at a significance level of p?0.05, indicating that there is no important connection between the pupils' "Interest" in chemical science and their awareness of the "Importance" of chemical science lessons. Likewise, the r-ratio (0.031) is not significant at a significance level of p?0.05, suggesting that there is no significant relationship between secondary school pupils' "Interest" in chemical science and their "Anxiety" about chemical science lessons.

The text highlights the relationships between various factors related to secondary school students' interest, motivation, enjoyment, assurance, importance, and anxiety in relation to chemical science lessons. The r-ratio values depict the strength and significance of these relationships. The text also states that an r-ratio value of 0.014 indicates no significant relationship between students' motivation and anxiety. However, an r-ratio of 0.464 is significant at a level of pa‰¤0.05.

It is clear that there is a moderate positive relationship between secondary school pupils' "Motivation" about chemical science and their "Achievement Motivation" of chemical science. Table 1 shows that the r-ratio (0.500) indicates the moderate positive relationship between pupils' "Assurance" about chemical science and their "Importance" of

chemical science. The r-ratio (0.009) is not significant at the pa‰¤0.05 level, so there is no important relationship between pupils' "Assurance" about Chemistry and their "Anxiety" about Chemistry. The r-ratio (0.445) demonstrates a weak positive relationship between pupils' "Assurance" about chemical science and their "Achievement Motivation" of chemical science. The r-ratio (0.008) is not significant at the pa‰¤0.05 level, so there is no important relationship between pupils' "Importance" about chemical science and their "Anxiety" about chemical science.

The moderate positive relationship between a secondary school pupil's "Importance" about chemical science and their "Achievement Motivation" of chemical science is represented by an r-ratio of 0.407. Additionally, the r-ratio of 0.196 shows a positive relationship between secondary school pupils' "Anxiety" about chemical science and their "Achievement Motivation" of chemical science.

Discussion

The current study examines the relationship between personality traits, emotional attitudes, and academic achievement in the field of chemical science. The study also investigates how various student-related variables such as Gender, School Sector, Family Type, Mother Qualification, Father Qualification, and Choice of Course influence the academic achievement of secondary school pupils. Understanding the factors that influence academic achievement allows educators to design fair academic curriculum that can compensate for known weaknesses a student may have and further enhance their strengths. While ability or intelligence has traditionally been the preferred indicator for predicting academic achievement, recent research has shown that personality traits hold significant value.

In this survey, pupils who received 71-80% marks demonstrated a higher number of personality traits, particularly the Big Five factors. Therefore, we can conclude that academic success in pupils is strongly correlated with personality traits. These findings align with Oliver and Mooradian's (2003) research, which determined

that personality and achievement significantly impact academic success. Personality plays a crucial role in individuals' perception of the world, motivates them to tackle challenges to validate their knowledge, and adapts their preferences in light of new information. The current study identified several influential variables in determining the chemistry achievement of secondary school students. The study also revealed a negative correlation between extroversion and academic accomplishment, consistent with Entwistle (1972), Eysenck and Cookson (1969), and Petrides et al.

According to research, extroversion in individuals tends to change from positive in primary school to negative in secondary school and university. This change can be attributed to the transition from a sociable and less competitive environment in primary school to a more formal atmosphere in secondary school. However, some argue that this change occurs because less capable individuals become extroverted and vice versa (Anthony, 1973). Despite the debate, it is widely accepted that introverts have an advantage over extroverts when it comes to consolidating learning, as well as having lower distractibility and better study habits (Entwistle & Entwistle, 1970; Sanchez-Marin et al., 2001). This negative association suggests that introverts spend more time studying, while extroverts spend more time socializing (Chamorro-Premuzic & Furnham, 2005).

According to a recent survey, neurosis does not have a significant impact on academic achievement. This finding is similar to the results of previous studies conducted by Laidra et al. (2007), Puklek Levpuscek and Zupancic (2009a), which also found that neuroticism is often weakly or not significantly associated with school grades. The survey also found that students who score between 50-80% in their exams tend to be more open-minded. Therefore, we can conclude that openness to experience

is positively correlated with academic success in the field of chemistry. These findings are consistent with Lounsbury et al. (2003) and Farsides, who both reported that openness to experience is related to better academic performance. Moreover, another study by Baker and Victor (2002), Bratko et al. (2006), and Laidra et al. yielded similar results.

In a study conducted in 2007, it was found that the Openness/intellect factor is consistently associated with academic success across different class degrees. However, Agreeableness does not have a significant relationship with academic achievement in the field of chemical science, which contradicts previous studies by Lounsbury et al. (2003) and Farsides and Woodfield (2003) who concluded that Agreeableness is positively related to academic performance. On the other hand, the study also revealed that students who scored between 61-80% marks demonstrated higher levels of Conscientiousness, indicating a positive correlation between Conscientiousness and academic success in chemical science. These findings support previous studies by Baker and Victor (2002), Bratko et al. (2006), and Laidra et al. (2007) which consistently identified Conscientiousness as relevant to academic achievement among adolescent students. The relationship between attitude and achievement is a central issue in the literature.

Many people have a simplified view that "the best milk comes from contented cattle" when it comes to attitudes towards school science (Fraser 1982). However, Gardner's review of research found little evidence to support a strong connection between attitude and achievement. Various studies on attitude and chemistry performance have produced conflicting results (Fowler, 1980; Gutwill, 1998; Lindsay, 2001; Shibley et al., 2003; Turner & Lindsay, 2003).

The current survey does not show a significant relationship between Attitude and Chemistry Achievement. These findings are similar

to the results of Willson's (1983) meta-analysis, which found a weak relationship between attitudes and accomplishment. The survey indicates that students who receive marks between 81-90% demonstrate higher Achievement Motivation. The results show that Achievement Motivation has a positive and significant impact on Chemistry Academic Achievement. These findings can be directly compared to Camara's (1986) study, where he concluded that Achievement Motivation is often correlated with actual achievement behavior. Atkinson (1964) states that individuals' achievement depends not only on their motivation to succeed but also on their expectations of achievement. Rankin (1995) also found a correlation between motivation and academic accomplishment, which aligns with the results of our survey.

The survey results indicate that students who achieve marks between 91-100% demonstrate a higher level of motivation towards learning chemistry. However, factors such as interest, confidence, enjoyment, anxiety, and importance do not directly influence academic achievement in chemistry. Instead, these affective characteristics of attitude indirectly impact student achievement, as they are interrelated and have significant effects on each other. These findings differ from previous studies and suggest that demographic variables also play a significant role in chemistry achievement. Specifically, male students outperform female students in this subject, which aligns with previous research highlighting the importance of gender differences.