Inquiry-Based Science and Technology Enrichment Program for Middle School-Aged Female Students

This study investigates the effects of an intensive 1-week Inquiry-Based Science and Technology Enrichment Program (InSTEP) designed for middle school-aged female students. InSTEP uses a guided/open inquiry approach that is deepened and redefined as eight sciences and engineering practices in the Next Generation Science Standards, which aimed at increasing female students’ interest in science and science-related careers. This study examined the effectiveness of InSTEP on 123 female students’ pre-assessment and post-assessment changes in attitudes toward science and content knowledge of selected science concepts. An attitude survey, a science content test with multiple-choice questions, written assignments, and interviews to collect data were all used to measure students’ attitudes and content knowledge. A within-group, repeated measure design was conducted, and the results indicated that at the post-intervention level, InSTEP increased the participants’ positive attitudes toward science, science-related careers, and content knowledge of selected science concepts.     

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ENVIRONMENTAL FREE-CHOICE LEARNING AND STUDENTS’ LEARNING, ATTITUDES, AND POLICY VIEWS ABOUT WATERWAYS

Environmental free-choice learning is a strategy that has been shown to have positive short-term impacts upon participants’ attitudes and understanding of desired educational outcomes. However, longitudinal studies in this area are rare due to difficulties inherent in data collection and vast differences in participants in these kinds of educational experiences. This study examined the effectiveness of participation in the Skunk River Navy, a free-choice environmental education experience, 1 – 4 years afterward to determine longitudinal effects of the experience on participants’ attitudes toward waterways and content knowledge. Importantly, participants were compared to non-participants who were also biology majors in the same program, completed the same coursework, and who likely shared similar dispositions, interest in biology, and are of similar demographic backgrounds. Results indicate that attitudes toward waterways and content knowledge were higher among participants, but that content knowledge remains lower than desired by program developers. Therefore, when reducing the impact of selection and variance within the study population, longitudinal positive effects can be seen from free-choice learning experiences when they are coupled with formal classroom experiences that address similar concepts.     

Investigating Omani Science Teachers’ Attitudes Towards Teaching Science: the Role of Gender and Teaching Experiences

A 30-item questionnaire was designed to determine Omani science teachers’ attitudes toward teaching science and whether or not these attitudes differ according to gender and teaching experiences of teachers. The questionnaire items were divided into 3 domains: classroom preparation, managing hands-on science, and development appropriateness. The questionnaire was administered to 139 randomly selected science teachers who teach science in grades 5–10. The sample consisted of 72 male teachers and 67 female teachers, 57 teachers with teaching experience between 1 and 5 years and 82 teachers with teaching experience of 6 and more years. The sample was selected from 7 schools in 1 Educational Governorate in the Sultanate of Oman. The questionnaire reliability was calculated by an internal consistency method, using Cronbach’s alpha, which gave the value of 0.73 for all the items. The findings indicated that science teachers’ attitudes toward teaching science were positive. Furthermore, the results showed that there were statically significant differences in teachers’ attitudes due to gender in favor of the female teachers and in teaching experience in favor of teachers with long experience. The study proposed some recommendations to improve the science teachers’ attitude, especially male teachers towards science teaching. Paying more attention to in-service professional development programs, encouraging new teachers to attend some classes to observe experienced colleagues, and finally rewarding teachers morally, socially, and financially are some of these recommendations.     

Ambivalent attitudes about teaching children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

Drawing on attitude theories from social psychology, we conducted a survey of Australian pre-service (n = 327) and in-service (n = 127) teachers’ attitudes about teaching children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This paper reports a content analysis of beliefs, affect and behaviours towards teaching children with ADHD and quantitative analyses pertaining to attitudinal ambivalence – that is, where a teacher may simultaneously report negative and positive evaluations of teaching children with ADHD. While on average, overall or global attitudes were mildly positive for both cohorts, considerable ambivalence about teaching children with ADHD was commonly experienced. Participants reported ambivalent beliefs, affect and behaviours, as well as ambivalence between these attitude components. Paradoxically, participants who knew more about ADHD and held stronger positive global attitudes about teaching children with ADHD reported less ambivalent behaviours towards these children, but reported more ambivalent beliefs. The implications for teachers’ professional development and training are discussed.     

中国英语学习者态度、动机和成绩的结构方程建模研究

通过结构方程建模,探讨中国英语学习者态度、动机和英语成绩的关系.对598名研究对象采用态度-动机量表评估其学习态度、学习动机、语言焦虑状况和英语成绩.对结果进行路径分析,发现融入型、对教学环境的态度和工具型导向对学习动机有正向直接效应;学习动机对英语成绩有正向直接效应;教学环境的态度和语言焦虑对英语成绩有负向直接效应.通过具体实例介绍语言学研究中结构方程建模和模型评价的一般过程.     

Pre-service teachers’ and teacher-educators’ experiences and attitudes toward using social networking sites for collaborative learning

Extensive use of social networking sites by students and teachers makes educators and researchers to think whether they can be incorporated in instructional process to facilitate students’ learning. This survey-based study records and examines Pakistani pre-service teachers’ and teacher-educators’ current uses of Facebook, and their attitudes toward using Facebook for collaborative learning, and to see if there is a significant relationship between participants’ intensity of Facebook use and their attitude toward instructional use of Facebook. Results of the study indicated that pre-service teachers’ and teacher-educators’ motives for their current Facebook use are mainly limited for social purposes. Pre-service teachers’ use of Facebook is more intensified than the use of Facebook by teacher-educators. Further, pre-service teachers showed more positive attitudes toward using Facebook for collaborative learning than the attitudes of their faculty. Findings also indicated a positive relationship between participants’ Facebook intensity and their attitudes toward its use for collaborative learning.     

Developing Positive Attitudes Toward Interprofessional Collaboration Among Students in the Health Care Professions

This study examined whether attitudes toward interprofessional collaboration (Physician-Nurse, Physician-Social Worker, Nurse-Social Worker) held by medical, social work, and nursing students changed after completing an interprofessional curriculum consisting of (a) Interprofessional Education Development Session and (b) the Senior Aging and Geriatrics Educator mentoring program. The 15-item original and two modified versions of the Jefferson School of Attitudes Toward Physician-Nurse Collaboration (JSAPNC) were administered as pretest/posttest. Of the 186 participants who completed the pretest, 156 (84%) completed the posttest. Results showed that the medical students (n = 52) reported the most positive change in attitude toward all three pairs of interprofessional collaboration. Social work students (n = 55) reported the least positive attitudes toward Physician-Social Worker collaboration and nursing students (n = 49) reported the least positive attitudes toward Physician-Nurse collaboration. It is recommended to evaluate the interprofessional curriculum and other factors, such as the possible influence of the facilitator in group discussions, and that future studies include a rigorous design that monitors content of each educational session to ensure integrity across groups. Postgraduate follow-up measures could be used to enhance positive attitudes toward interprofessional collaboration.     

The Centre for Studies in Science Education at the University of Leeds

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of aesthetic science activities on improving elementary school at-risk families’ children's positive thinking, attitudes toward science, and decreasing their anxiety about learning science. Thirty-six 4th-grade children from at-risk families volunteered to participate in a 12-week intervention and formed the experimental group; another 97 typical 4th graders were randomly selected to participant in the assessment and were used as the comparison group. The treatment for experimental group children emphasized scaffolding aesthetic science activities and inquiry strategies. The Elementary School Student Questionnaire was administered to assess all children's positive thinking, attitudes toward science, and anxiety about learning science. In addition, nine target children from the experimental group with the lowest scores on either positive thinking, or attitudes toward science, or with the highest scores on anxiety about learning science in the pre-test were recruited to be interviewed at the end of the intervention and observed weekly. Confirmatory factor analyses, analyses of covariance, and content theme analysis assessed the similarities and differences between groups. It was found that the at-risk families’ children were motivated by the treatment and made significant progress on positive thinking and attitudes toward science, and also decreased their anxiety about learning science. The findings from interviews and classroom observations also revealed that the intervention made differences in children's affective perceptions of learning science. Implication and research recommendation are discussed.     

Scientific knowledge and attitude change: The impact of a citizen science project

This paper discusses the evaluation of an informal science education project, The Birdhouse Network (TBN) of the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology. The Elaboration Likelihood Model and the theory of Experiential Education were used as frameworks to analyse the impact of TBN on participants’ attitudes toward science and the environment, on their knowledge of bird biology, and on their understanding of the scientific process. The project had an impact on participants’ knowledge of bird biology. No statistically significant change in participants’ attitudes toward science or the environment, or in participants’ understanding of the scientific process, could be detected. The results suggest that projects must make explicit to participants the issues that they are experiencing. In addition, the results suggest that more sensitive measures need to be designed to assess attitude change among environmentally aware citizens.     

Examination of the relationship between perfectionism and English achievement as mediated by foreign language classroom anxiety

There are a number of individual and affective factors which correlate foreign language learners’ achievement both positively and negatively. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between perfectionism and English language achievement among high school third graders in Chenaran, a city in northeast of Iran, mediated by foreign language classroom anxiety. A sample of 239 students (110 males and 129 females) was assessed for their levels of perfectionism and foreign language anxiety using the Almost Perfect Scale-Revised and Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale, respectively. Participants’ scores on their final English test were also used as the measurement of their English achievement. The results did not reveal strong correlations between perfectionism and participants’ English achievement (F = .515, p > .05); however, the mean English score of the participants was lower for maladaptive perfectionists. Also, foreign language classroom anxiety was found to be significantly and negatively correlated with English achievement (r = ?.357, p < .01). The results of analysis of variance revealed a significant positive association between perfectionism and foreign language anxiety, where maladaptive perfectionists were found to be more anxious than adaptive and non-perfectionists. Results did not support the hypothesis about foreign language anxiety as a mediator of the relationship between perfectionism and English achievement. Implications for both teachers and learners, and suggestions for further research are provided.     

Effectiveness of a psycho-educational staff training program on attitudes of staff in a long-term care facility: A pilot study and framework

Managing Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD) is a significant challenge for staff working in long-term care facilities. This study examines the effectiveness of a psycho-educational training aimed at changing staff’s attitudes. The results indicated that participants’ attitudes toward dementia were more positive, person-centered, and hopeful; some participants’ attitudes were unchanged or altered negatively after the training sessions. The conclusiveness of evaluation findings was limited due to time constraints for staff to participate in the complete educational program and the small dataset. Further research is indicated to revise the methodology of the training to ascertain if the framework regarding education on dementia influences staff’s attitude and the overall well-being of the residents.     

Attitudes Toward Computers of Gifted Students and their Teachers

One of the prerequisites for acceptance and implementation of computers in an educational system is a positive attitude of both teachers and students toward their use. This research, therefore, focuses on differences in attitudes toward computers between male and female teachers, female and male gifted students, and teachers and gifted students. Samples consisted of 217 gifted students (115 males and 102 females) and 125 teachers (30 males and 95 females) in the Amman Educational District, Jordan. Computer attitudes were measured by means of the Attitudes of Both Teachers and Students Toward Computers Questionnaire, and compared statistically to variables such as performance in mathematics, IQ, gender, teachers’ experience in teaching and computing, and teachers’ training. Results showed that participants are generally positive towards computers, and there were no significant differences in attitude between gifted students and teachers or between males and females. Attitudes towards computers, however, may be predicted by performance in mathematics and by IQ scores.     

Strengthening science attitudes for newcomer middle school english learners: visually enriched integrated science and language instruction

This study investigated ways to foster positive science attitudes among newcomer first-year middle school English learners (n?=?79) under two conditions: (1) Extended Science?+?Extended Literacy (planetarium-based visualisations?+?vocabulary?+?comic and trade books) and (2) Extended Science?+?Literacy (planetarium-based visualisations?+?vocabulary). The results indicated a statistically and practically meaningful increase in science attitudes (Cohen’s d?=?0.43) after an 8-week science unit delivered under the Extended Science?+?Extended Literacy condition, which was maintained, but not increased, for the second 8-week unit under the Extended Science?+?Literacy condition. These results suggest that the combination of planetarium-based visualisations and comic and trade books can be effective for supporting newcomer ELs’ science attitudes. However, once achieved, this effect may be maintained with less intensive literacy (vocabulary only) support. Student judgments of the quality of the planetarium-based visualisation experiences in terms of clarity, easiness, excitement, and usefulness began high and went even higher with more experiences, Cohen’s d?>?0.50 for three out of four quality indicators. Interviews corroborated these results with teacher and students indicating that they highly valued the visually-rich nature of the program, the variety of learning opportunities within the program, and program continuity/close alignment between science and literacy supports—all components contributing to high levels of engagement and positive attitudes toward science. Ways to adopt program components across settings are discussed.     

The role of perceived parental over-involvement in student test anxiety

The effects of perceived parental over-involvement on students’ level of test anxiety were examined in two studies. In study 1, parental over-involvement scale was developed. The sample comprised 105 male and female undergraduate college students between the ages of 21 and 26. The scale contained two aspects of parental over-involvement: parental attitudes toward academic studies and parental involvement in academic studies. Students’ self-reported attitudes toward academic studies were also included. In study 2, the effects of the three aspects on students’ level of test anxiety were examined. The sample comprised 90 male and female undergraduate college students, between the ages of 21 and 26. Research hypotheses were that the two aspects of parental over-involvement and students’ attitudes will positively correlate with students' test anxiety and that results will persist with high anxious students. Finally, an exploratory question was examined as to whether the two aspects of parental over-involvement will differ in their impact on test anxiety. As expected all three factors positively correlated with test anxiety; however, regression analysis indicated that only parental involvement was predicting text anxiety. Results for participants with high test anxiety partially supported research hypothesis as parental involvement correlated with test anxiety (TA) total score and with worry but not with emotionality. Findings are discussed as response to the exploratory question. Finally, although not hypothesized, academic education of parents was positively related to students' test anxiety. Results suggest that parental attitudes and behaviors are significant factors in college students’ TA.     

Development,Implementation, and Outcomes of an Equitable Computer Science After-School Program: Findings From Middle-School Students

Current policy efforts that seek to improve learning in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) emphasize the importance of helping all students acquire concepts and tools from computer science that help them analyze and develop solutions to everyday problems. These goals have been generally described in the literature under the term computational thinking. In this article, we report on the design, implementation, and outcomes of an after-school program on computational thinking. The program was founded through a partnership between university faculty, undergraduates, teachers, and students. Specifically, we examine how equitable pedagogical practices can be applied in the design of computing programs and the ways in which participation in such programs influence middle school students' learning of computer science concepts, computational practices, and attitudes toward computing. Participants included 52 middle school students who voluntarily attended the 9-week after-school program, as well as four undergraduates and one teacher who designed and implemented the program. Data were collected from after-school program observations, undergraduate reflections, computer science content assessments, programming products, and attitude surveys. The results indicate that the program positively influenced student learning of computer science concepts and attitudes toward computing. Findings have implications for the design of effective learning experiences that broaden participation in computing. (Keywords: computational thinking, programming, middle school, mixed methods)     

Construction and Validation of an Instrument to Measure Taiwanese Elementary Students’ Attitudes toward Their Science Class

The main purpose of this study is to develop a valid and reliable instrument for measuring the attitudes toward science class of fourth‐ and fifth‐grade students in an Asian school culture. Specifically, the development focused on three science attitude constructs—science enjoyment, science confidence, and importance of science as related to science class experiences. A total of 265 elementary school students in Taiwan responded to the instrument developed. Data analysis indicated that the instrument exhibited satisfactory validity and reliability with the Taiwan population used. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was 0.93 for the entire instrument indicating a satisfactory level of internal consistency. However, both principal component analysis and parallel analysis showed that the three attitude scales were not unique and should be combined and used as a general “attitudes toward science class” scale. The analysis also showed that there were no gender or grade‐level differences in students’ overall attitudes toward science class.     

Effects of a Collaborative Science Intervention on High Achieving Students’ Learning Anxiety and Attitudes toward Science

This study investigated the effects of a collaborative science intervention on high achieving students’ learning anxiety and attitudes toward science. Thirty‐seven eighth‐grade high achieving students (16 boys and 21 girls) were selected as an experimental group who joined a 20‐week collaborative science intervention, which integrated and utilized an innovative teaching strategy. Fifty‐eight eighth‐grade high achieving students were selected as the comparison group. The Secondary School Student Questionnaire was conducted to measure all participants’ learning anxiety and attitudes toward science. In addition, 12 target students from the experimental group (i.e., six active and six passive students) were recruited for weekly classroom observations and follow‐up interviews during the intervention. Both quantitative and qualitative findings revealed that experimental group students experienced significant impact as seen through increased attitudes and decreased anxiety of learning science. Implications for practice and research are provided.     

DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF A TAIWANESE COMMUNICATION PROGRESSION IN SCIENCE EDUCATION

Today, early science education is a well-accepted view. Enhancing children’s curiosity about the natural world and fostering positive attitudes toward science are primary goals of science education. However, questions remain regarding the appropriate ways to identify, nurture, and study these emotional states in pre-schoolers. This study examines the potential of using pre-schooler’s verbal (e.g. self-generated figurative expressions) and behavioral (sensorimotor interactions) responses while participating in a scientific activity, as indicators of curiosity and attitudes toward science. The responses of 41 pre-schoolers were documented via a response questionnaire developed for this study. An integrated quantitative–qualitative approach was utilized for data analyses. Results show that pre-schoolers utilize figurative expressions to express various emotional valences. Generation of verbal expressions that entail positive emotional valences and the desire to engage in sensorimotor interactions during a scientific activity were identified as positively correlated. Additionally, girls were more likely to express curiosity and positive attitudes toward science than boys in the context of this study. The findings suggest that these verbal and behavioral measures may serve as indicators of attitudes and curiosity toward science among pre-school children.     

Science Faculty Belief Systems in a Professional Development Program: Inquiry in College Laboratories

The purpose of this study was to investigate how science faculty members?? belief systems about inquiry-based teaching changed through their experience in a professional development program. The program was designed to support early career science faculty in learning about inquiry and incorporating an inquiry-based approach to teaching laboratories. Data sources for this qualitative study included three semi-structured interviews, observations during the program and during faculty members?? implementation in their courses, and a researcher??s journal. In the first phase of data analysis, we created profiles for each of the four participants. Next, we developed assertions, and tested for confirming and disconfirming evidence across the profiles. The assertions indicated that, through the professional development program, participants?? knowledge and beliefs about inquiry-based teaching shifted, placing more value on student-directed learning and classroom inquiry. Participants who were internally motivated to participate and held incoming positive attitudes toward the mini-journal inquiry-based approach were more likely to incorporate the approach in their future practice. Students?? responses played a critical role in participants?? belief systems and their decision to continue using the inquiry-based format. The findings from this study have implications for professional development design.