University Programme Preferences of High School Science Students in Singapore and Reasons that Matter in their Preferences: A Rasch analysis

This study explored an under-researched area in science education—the university programmes preferred by high school students who take physical science subjects and the reasons that matter in their preferences. A total of 1,071 upper secondary and pre-university students in Singapore, who take physical science subjects among their range of subjects, participated in this study. A survey method was adopted and the Rasch model was used to analyse the data. Overall, Business Studies was ranked as the predominant choice; nonetheless, scientific programmes such as Science, Engineering, and Mathematics are generally still well liked by the students. When gender differences were examined, we found that students largely followed gender-typical programme preferences, in which males tend to incline towards Engineering while females tend to incline towards Arts and Social Sciences. Students prefer a university programme based on their individual interest and ability, with career aspiration and remuneration coming next. Interestingly, females place greater emphasis on career aspiration than males. Some implications of the study are discussed.     

Comparative study of middle school students’ attitudes towards science: Rasch analysis of entire TIMSS 2011 attitudinal data for England,Singapore and the U.S.A. as well as psychometric properties of attitudes scale

We report here on a comparative study of middle school students’ attitudes towards science involving three countries: England, Singapore and the U.S.A. Complete attitudinal data sets from TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) 2011 were used, thus giving a very large sample size (N?=?20,246), compared to other studies in the journal literature. The Rasch model was used to analyse the data, and the findings have shed some useful light on not only how the Western and Asian students responded on a comparative basis in the various scales related to attitudes but also on the validity, reliability, and unidimensionality of the attitudes instrument used in TIMSS 2011. There may be a need for TIMSS test developers to consider doing away with negatively phrased items in the attitudes instrument and phrasing these positively as the Rasch framework shows that response bias is associated with these statements.     

A Cross-Sectional Perspective on Science Performance in Singapore

This report offers an initial interpretation of the large scale survey of science achievement in Singapore schools across three independent populations, namely, the representative, stratified random sample of students at Pop. 1 or primary 5 (12.9% of the 10 year-old), at Pop. 2 or secondary 3 (11.3% of the 14 year-old) and all the 3560 science (and 10% of the non-science) students at the Pop. 3 (junior colleges/pre-university) or last year of schooling.

Differences in science achievement (measured by the IEA criterion science tests) within and between the different populations confirmed the strong relationships attributable to the differences in (a) academic ability (academic streams) (b) general ability (the numerical and verbal ability tests), (c) gender and (d) their opportunity-to-learn (as reported by the science teachers). Sex differences in science achievement persisted in favour of the males across grade levels and types of science curriculum (general science to pure sciences). The cross-sectional comparisons offered evidence of a discernible improvement in the shift in science achievement from primary 5 to junior college/pre-university and also, consistent trends in the way science is taught and in the attitude of students towards science. A simple causal model is examined as an initial attempt to explain the complex of interacting variables that account for differences in student science achievement.     

Understanding metallic bonding: Structure,process and interaction by Rasch analysis

This paper reports the results of a survey of 3006 Year 10–12 students on their understandings of metallic bonding. The instrument was developed based on Chi's ontological categories of scientific concepts and students' understanding of metallic bonding as reported in the literature. The instrument has two parts. Part one probed into students' understanding of metallic bonding as (a) a submicro structure of metals, (b) a process in which individual metal atoms lose their outermost shell electrons to form a ‘sea of electrons’ and octet metal cations or (c) an all-directional electrostatic force between delocalized electrons and metal cations, that is, an interaction. Part two assessed students' explanation of malleability of metals, for example (a) as a submicro structural rearrangement of metal atoms/cations or (b) based on all-directional electrostatic force. The instrument was validated by the Rasch Model. Psychometric assessment showed that the instrument possessed reasonably good properties of measurement. Results revealed that it was reliable and valid for measuring students' understanding of metallic bonding. Analysis revealed that the structure, process and interaction understandings were unidimensional and in an increasing order of difficulty. Implications for the teaching of metallic bonding, particular through the use of diagrams, critiques and model-based learning, are discussed.     

Styles of creativity: Adaptors and innovators in a singapore context

Kirton (1976) described two creative styles, namely adaptors and innovators. Adaptors prefer to “do things better ” whilst, innovators prefer to “do things differently ”. This study explored the relationship between two creative styles (adaptor and innovator) and the Big Five personality traits (extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness to experience) and how they subscribe to creativity, risks and goal orientations. A total of 206 Polytechnic students from Singapore completed a self-report questionnaire, which consisted of the Kirton Adaptation-Innovation Inventory (Kirton, 1976), NEO-Five Factor Inventory (Saucier, 1994), Learning Goal Scale (Ng, 2003), What Kind of Person Are You Self-Report Inventory (Khatena & Torrance, 1976), Gough’s Creative Adjective Checklist, Risk Scenario, and Risk Taking Attitude Scale developed by Ng. It was found that adaptors were significantly more conscientious and subscribe to risk avoidance, ego approach and ego avoidance orientations than innovators, whilst, innovators were significantly more extraverted and open to experience and are likely to subscribe to creativity, risk taking and mastery goal orientations than adaptors. No significant differences were found between adaptors and innovators in agreeableness. The implications for the findings for the classroom teacher will also be discussed.     

Attitudes towards Innovations in Primary Schools: A Study of In-Service Teachers

This is a study of how a group of primary school teachers in Singapore dealt with the possibility of introducing informal educational innovations in their school settings. “Informal innovations” here refers to the voluntary adoption of new teaching methods, techniques and ideas acquired during an in-service teacher education programme, namely, the Further Professional Certificate in Education (FPCE) programme conducted by the Institute of Education, Singapore. Did these teachers attempt, when back in their schools, to experiment with the new ideas and methods of teaching they had been exposed to during the one year of the FPCE programme? What factors worked for, and against, attempts at innovations in their primary schools? Were there structural constraints and socio-psychological obstacles that they had to negotiate in order to adopt innovations in classroom and educational practices? If innovative ideas had remained dormant, was this because the teachers were unconvinced about the practicality and relevance of these ideas for the classroom and the school? These questions serve as the focal points of a small study involving 66 primary school teachers. Of the 66 teachers, sixteen had resumed work at school for nine months after they completed their in-service attachment at the Institute of Education (IE). The remaining 50 were in the midst of their in-service training when they participated in the study.