Developing Attitudes towards Science Measures
Top Cited Papers
Open Access
- 11 May 2007
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Taylor & Francis Ltd in International Journal of Science Education
- Vol. 29 (7), 871-893
- https://doi.org/10.1080/09500690600909091
Abstract
In this study, we describe the development of measures used to examine pupils’ attitudes towards science. In particular, separate measures for attitudes towards the following areas were developed: learning science in school, practical work in science, science outside of school, importance of science, self‐concept in science, and future participation in science. In developing these measures, criticisms of previous attitude studies in science education were noted. In particular, care was taken over the definition of each of the attitude constructs, and also ensuring that each of the constructs was unidimensional. Following an initial piloting process, pupils aged 11–14 from five secondary schools throughout England completed questionnaires containing the attitude measures. These questionnaires were completed twice by pupils in these schools, with a gap of four weeks between the first and second measurements. Altogether, 932 pupils completed the first questionnaire and 668 pupils completed the second one. Factor analysis carried out on the resulting data confirmed the unidimensionality of the separate attitude constructs. Also, it was found that three of the constructs—learning science in school, science outside of school, and future participation in science—loaded on one general attitude towards science factor. Further analysis showed that all the measures showed high internal reliability (Cronbach’s α > 0.7). A particular strength of the approach used in this study was that it allowed for attitude measures to be built up step‐by‐step, therefore allowing for the future consideration of other relevant constructs.Keywords
This publication has 24 references indexed in Scilit:
- Attitudes and PersuasionAnnual Review of Psychology, 2006
- Developing attitude to science scales for use with children of ages from five to eleven yearsInternational Journal of Science Education, 2001
- The development and use of an instrument to assess students' attitude to the study of chemistryInternational Journal of Science Education, 2001
- Nature and Operation of AttitudesAnnual Review of Psychology, 2001
- Measuring Attitude Towards Science Among Secondary School Students: the affective domainResearch in Science & Technological Education, 1999
- Mission impossible?: Can anything be done about attitudes to science?International Journal of Science Education, 1998
- The dimensionality of attitude scales: a widely misunderstood ideaInternational Journal of Science Education, 1996
- Development of the attitude toward science in school assessment and its use to investigate the relationship between science achievement and attitude toward science in schoolJournal of Research in Science Teaching, 1988
- Thirty studies involving the “scientific attitude inventory”: What confidence can we have in this instrument?Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 1983
- The impropriety of “panel of judges” validation in science attitude scales: A research commentJournal of Research in Science Teaching, 1982