In a case study of over three hundred students in one Canberra high school, the attitudes to
science of boys and girls in Years 7-10 were investigated using the Test of Science-Related
Attitudes (TOSRA). From this survey population, forty students were selected and
interviewed to explore in more detail students' attitudes to science. Parents of the
interviewed students were also surveyed to explore possible relationships between
students' attitudes and parental expectations and aspirations.
For the seven areas of attitudes investigated, students had positive attitudes to science in the
areas of social implications of science, normality of scientists, attitudes to scientific enquiry
and adoption of scientific attitudes. They displayed neutral to negative attitudes in the areas
of enjoyment of science lessons, leisure interest in science and career interest in science.
There was a significant difference between boys and girls in two of the seven areas with
girls being more negative than boys to a leisure interest in science, and girls more positive
than boys towards the normality of scientists.
When analysed for year at school and achievement in science, the data indicates that older
students and those with higher grades in science generally have a more positive or less
negative attitude to science. However, as a group, Year 8 girls were more negative than
other groups about the enjoyment of their science lessons, about a leisure interest in science
and about a career interest in science.
The interviews with students revealed that in general, they liked science and their science
teachers but that they would not choose science for leisure activities or for a career. Parents
are shown to have high aspirations and somewhat lower expectations for the career
prospects of their children. Both parents and students display stereotypical views about
certain careers based on gender.
Strategies to improve the attitude to science of boys and girls are suggested. These
strategies focus on activities for teachers, parents and the students themselves.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ADTP/218807 |
| Date | January 1988 |
| Creators | Burfitt, Helen, n/a |
| Publisher | University of Canberra. Education |
| Source Sets | Australiasian Digital Theses Program |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | ), Copyright Helen Burfitt |
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