Hong Kong secondary school students’ attitudes towards science: a study of structural models and gender differences

This paper is concerned with children's conceptions of the structure and function of the human digestive system. It is based on data from an investigation carried out with 45 children between the ages of four and ten. The results indicated that (1) children possess biological knowledge as an independent knowledge domain from the age of 4; (2) the acquisition of the concept of digestion leads to a conceptual revision and enrichment; (3) the concept of transformation can constitute an obstacle to comprehension of the scientific model of the functions of the digestive system.     

ICT in Science Education: A quasi‐experimental study of achievement,attitudes toward science,and career aspirations of Korean middle school students

The Seventh School Curriculum Reform in Korea was introduced in 2000 to prepare school‐aged Koreans for an information and knowledge‐based society. The reform effort emphasises information and communication technology (ICT) in the K–12 curriculum and a learner‐centred pedagogy. This study examines the contributions of ICT, specifically, computer‐assisted instruction (CAI), in Korean science classrooms. A sample of 234 Korean middle school students was categorised into five achievement groups. Data were collected from pre‐ and post‐achievement test scores and pre‐ and post‐questionnaires for attitudes toward science, future courses, and career aspirations in science. Findings include: (1) the lowest achievement group showed the most significant improvement after CAI (p=.000); (2) an improvement in student achievement in science significantly influenced students’ attitudes toward science (p=.019), future course selections, and career aspirations related to science (p=.000); and (3) boys tended to perform better with CAI than girls. This research provides evidence that CAI has the potential to help lower achieving students in Korean science classes and may encourage enrolment in science.