A Cultural Interpretation of Locus of Control, Family and School Experiences, and school Truancy - The Case of Hong Kong

The present study was conducted on a sample of three hundred and eighty-four students recruited from the junior Forms of four "low achievement" schools in Hong Kong. The overall concern was to understand how school truants and non-truants differ in orientation of locus of control in relation to their family and school experiences and how these relations vary within each group. The research findings revealed that externality of control, negative family and school experiences, and school truancy were interrelated. The observed linkages among locus of control, family and school experiences, and school truancy have significant implications for education and school social work particularly in a culture which fosters a belief in external control in children.