Affective Profiles of Year 9/10 Australian and South East Asian Students in Science and Science Education

Wan Ng

doi:10.29333/ejmste/110782

Full Text (PDF)

Wan Ng ¹ ^*

More Detail

¹ University of Technology Sydney, AUSTRALIA^* Corresponding Author

Abstract

While there are research studies into students’ affective perspectives revolving around science and science education over the last five decades, there are few studies on students’ attitudes and beliefs in these areas in developing countries in South East Asia, particularly those that do not participate in international assessment programs. This quantitative study investigated the affective profiles of Year 9/10 students in science/science learning from seven South East Asian countries and Australia to understand the similarities and differences in students’ attitudes and the implications in advancing the STEM education agenda in these countries. Comparative studies perform several important functions that are closely interlinked and this study heightens our awareness of the impact of systems and cultures on students’ emotional views in the areas of science/science education, allowing country coordinators and policy makers to compare and review teaching practices to enhance student engagement and performance. The implications of the study are discussed.

Keywords

attitudes and beliefs
science and science learning
South-East Asian countries and Australia
Year 9 and 10 students

License

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Research Article

EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed, Volume 16, Issue 1, January 2020, Article No: em1804

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/110782

Publication date: 16 Sep 2019

Article Views: 2205

Article Downloads: 1136

Open Access References How to cite this article

References

Ainley, J., Kos, J., & Nicholas, M. (2008). Participation in science, mathematics and technology in Australian education. ACER Research Monographs, 4. Victoria: ACER.
Ato, T., & Wilkinson, W. J. (1983). Factors related to secondary school students’ attitudes to science in Benue State of Nigeria. Research in Science & Technological Education, 1(2), 209-220. https://doi.org/10.1080/0263514830010209.
Awan, R. U. N., Sarwar, M., Naz, A., & Noreen, G. (2011). Attitudes toward science among school students of different nations: a review study. Journal of College Teaching and Learning, 8(2), 43-50. https://doi.org/10.19030/tlc.v8i2.3555.
Banu, D. P. (1986). Secondary school students’ attitudes towards science. Research in Science & Technological Education, 4(2), 195-202. https://doi.org/10.1080/0263514860040209.
Barmby, P., Kind, P. M., & Jones, K. (2008). Examining Changing Attitudes in Secondary School Science. International Journal of Science Education, 30(8), 1075-1093. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500690701344966.
Becker, K., & Park, K. (2011). Effects of integrative approaches among science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects on students’ learning: A preliminary meta-analysis. Journal of STEM Education: Innovations & Research, 12(5/6), 23-37.
Breakwell, G. M., & Beardsell, S. (2016). Gender, parental and peer influences upon science attitudes and activities. Public Understanding of Science, 1(2), 183-197. https://doi.org/10.1088/0963-6625/1/2/003.
Brush, L. R. (1979). Avoidance of Science and Stereotypes of Scientists. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 16(3), 237-41. https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.3660160310.
Butcher, H. J. (1969). An investigation of the ‘swing from science’. Research in education, 1(1), 38-57. https://doi.org/10.1177/003452376900100107.
Cory, S. (2011). Driving Australia s economic future through robust investment in science and in science and maths education. Canberra: National Press Club Address.
Ebenezer, J. V., & Zoller, U. (1993). Grade 10 students’ perceptions of and attitudes toward science teaching and school science. Journal of research in science teaching, 30(2), 175-186. https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.3660300205.
Education Council (2018). Optimising STEM industry-school partnerships: Inspiring Australia’s next generation Final Report. South Carlton: Education Council.
Esser, F., & Vliegenthart, R. (2017). Comparative research methods. In J. Matthes, C. Davis & R. Potter (Eds), The International Encyclopedia of Communication Research Methods, pp 1-22. Wiley Online Library. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118901731.iecrm0035.
Freeman, B. (2014). The Age of STEM: Science, technology, engineering and mathematics policy and practice globally. In Symposium on STEM education in Asia and the US, Indiana University Gateway–Tshinghua University Science Park, Beijing China, 21-22 October 2014. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315767512.
Freeman, B., Marginson, S., & Tytler, R. (2015). Widening and deepening the STEM effect. The Age of STEM: Educational policy and practice across the world in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, 1-21. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315767512.
Gardner, P. L. (1974). Sex differences in achievement, attitudes, and personality of science students: A review. Research in Science Education, 4(1), 231-258. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02558596.
Goodrum, D., Druhan, A., & Abbs, J. (2012). The Status and Quality of Year 11 and 12 Science in Australian Schools: report prepared for the Office of the Chief Scientist. Retrieved from Canberra http://www.science.org.au/publications/documents/Year11and12Report.pdf.
Goodrum, D., Hackling, M., & Rennie, L. (2001). The status and quality of teaching and learning of science in Australian schools: A research report. Canberra: DETYA.
Haladyna, T., & Thomas, G. (1979). The attitudes of elementary school children toward school and subject matters. The Journal of Experimental Education, 48(1), 18-23. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220973.1979.11011707.
Hurley, M. (2001). Reviewing integrated science and mathematics: The search for evidence and definitions from new perspectives. School Science and Mathematics, 101, 259–268. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1949-8594.2001.tb18028.x.
Jenkins, E., & Nelson, N. W. (2005). Important but not for me: Students’ attitudes toward secondary school science in England. Research in Science & Technological Education, 23(1), 41–57. https://doi.org/10.1080/02635140500068435.
Johnson, S. (1987). Gender differences in science: Parallels in interest, experience and performance. International Journal of Science Education, 9(4), 467-481. https://doi.org/10.1080/0950069870090405.
Jones, M. G., Howe, A., & Rua, M. J. (2000). Gender differences in students’ experiences, interests, and attitudes toward science and scientists. Science education, 84(2), 180-192. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1098-237X(200003)84:2<180::AID-SCE3>3.0.CO;2-X.
Katehi, L., Pearson, G., & Feder, M. (Eds). (2009). National Academy of Engineering and National Research Council Engineering in K-12 education. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
Kind, P., Jones, K., & Barmby, P. (2007). Developing Attitudes towards Science Measures. International Journal of Science Education, 29(7), 871 - 893. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500690600909091.
Krapp, A., & Prenzel, M. (2011). Research on interest in science: Theories, methods, and findings. International Journal of Science Education, 33(1), 27-50. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2010.518645.
Liang, L., Chen, S., Chen, X., Kaya, O. N., Adams, A. D., Macklin, M., & Ebenezer, J. (2006). Student Understanding of Science and Scientific Inquiry (SUSSI): Revision and Further Validation of an Assessment Instrument. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST), San Francisco, CA.
Logan, M. R., & Skamp, K. R. (2013). The impact of teachers and their science teaching on students’’science interest’: A four-year study. International Journal of Science Education, 35(17), 2879-2904. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500693.2012.667167.
Lowery, L. F., Bowyer, J., & Padilla, M. J. (1980). The science curriculum improvement study and student attitudes. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 17, 327-335. https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.3660170410.
Lyons, T. (2006). Different countries, same science classes: Students’ experiences of school science in their own words. International journal of science education, 28(6), 591-613. https://doi.org/10.1080/09500690500339621.
Lyons, T., & Quinn, F. (2010). Choosing Science: Understanding the declines in senior high school science enrolments. Research Report to the Australian Science Teachers Association. Australia: University of New England.
Marsh, H. W., Trautwein, U., Lüdtke, O., Köller, O., & Baumert, J. (2005). Academic self‐concept, interest, grades, and standardized test scores: Reciprocal effects models of causal ordering. Child development, 76(2), 397-416. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2005.00853.x.
Matthews, B., & Davies, D. (1999). Changing Children’s Images of Scientists: Can Teachers Make a Difference?. School Science Review, 80(293), 79-85.
McPherson, A. (1969). ‘Swing from science’or retreat from reason?. Higher Education Quarterly, 24(1), 29-43. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2273.1969.tb00316.x.
Mead, M., & Metraux, R. (1957). Image of the scientist among high-school students. Science, 126(3270), 384-390. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.126.3270.384.
Menis, J. (1983). Attitudes towards chemistry as compared with those towards mathematics, among tenth grade pupils (aged 15) in high level secondary schools in Israel. Research in Science & Technological Education, 1(2), 185-191. https://doi.org/10.1080/0263514830010206.
Meyer, G. R. (1961). Factors Accompanying the Scientific Interest of a Selected Group of English Secondary Pupils. Australian Journal of Education, 5(1), 27-40. https://doi.org/10.1177/000494416100500105.
Meyer, G. R. (1963). Factors related to scientific attitudes within the secondary schools of an Australian city. Australian journal of education, 7(1), 21-40. https://doi.org/10.1177/000494416300700104.
Osborne, J., Simon, S., & Collins, S. (2003). Attitudes towards science: a review of the literature and its implications. International Journal of Science Education, 25(9), 1049-1079. https://doi.org/10.1080/0950069032000032199.
Potvin, P., & Hasni, A. (2014). Interest, motivation and attitude towards science and technology at K-12 levels: a systematic review of 12 years of educational research. Studies in science education, 50(1), 85-129. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057267.2014.881626.
Powell, J. D. (1962). High school seniors’ attitudes toward science. The bulletin of the National Association of Secondary School Principals, 46(277), 82-87. https://doi.org/10.1177/019263656204627716.
Schibeci, R. A., & Riley, J. P. (1986). Influence of students’ background and perceptions on science attitudes and achievement. Journal of Research in Science teaching, 23(3), 177-187. https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.3660230302.
Schreiner, C., & Sjøberg, S. (2004). ROSE: The relevance of science education. Sowing the seeds of ROSE. Background, Rationale, Questionnaire Development and Data Collection for ROSE (The Relevance of Science Education)–a comparative study of students’ views of science and science education. Oslo: University of Oslo.
Shen, C., & Tam, H.P. (2008) The paradoxical relationship between student achievement and self-perception: a cross-national analysis based on three waves of TIMSS data. Educational Research and Evaluation, 14(1), 87-100. https://doi.org/10.1080/13803610801896653.
Silver, A., & Rushton, B. S. (2008). Primary-school children’s attitudes towards science, engineering and technology and their images of scientists and engineers. Education 3–13, 36(1), 51-67. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004270701576786.
Simpson, R. D., & Oliver, J. S. (1985). Attitude toward science and achievement motivation profiles of male and female science students in grades six through ten. Science Education, 69(4), 511-525. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.3730690407.
Sjøberg, S., & Schreiner, C. (2010). The ROSE project: An overview and key findings. Oslo: University of Oslo.
Stoet, G., & Geary, D. C. (2018). The gender-equality paradox in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education. Psychological science, 29(4), 581-593. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797617741719.
Stohlmann, M., Moore, T. J., & Roehrig, G. H. (2012). Considerations for teaching integrated STEM education. Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER), 2(1), 4. https://doi.org/10.5703/1288284314653.
Tseng, K. H., Chang, C. C., Lou, S. J., & Chen, W. P. (2013). Attitudes towards science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in a project-based learning (PjBL) environment. International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 23(1), 87-102. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-011-9160-x.
Tytler, R. (2007). Re-Imagining Science Education: Engaging Students in Science for Australia’s Future. Australian Education Review 51. Victoria, Australia: Australian Council for Educational Research.
Wang, M. T., & Degol, J. (2013). Motivational pathways to STEM career choices: Using expectancy–value perspective to understand individual and gender differences in STEM fields. Developmental Review, 33(4), 304-340. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dr.2013.08.001.
Wooley, J. K. (1978). Factors Affecting Students’ Attitudes and Achievement in an Astronomy Computer-Assisted Instruction Program. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 15(2), 173-8. https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.3660150213.

How to cite this article

APA

Ng, W. (2020). Affective Profiles of Year 9/10 Australian and South East Asian Students in Science and Science Education. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 16(1), em1804. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/110782

Vancouver

Ng W. Affective Profiles of Year 9/10 Australian and South East Asian Students in Science and Science Education. EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed. 2020;16(1):em1804. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/110782

AMA

Ng W. Affective Profiles of Year 9/10 Australian and South East Asian Students in Science and Science Education. EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed. 2020;16(1), em1804. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/110782

Chicago

Ng, Wan. "Affective Profiles of Year 9/10 Australian and South East Asian Students in Science and Science Education". Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education 2020 16 no. 1 (2020): em1804. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/110782

Harvard

Ng, W. (2020). Affective Profiles of Year 9/10 Australian and South East Asian Students in Science and Science Education. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 16(1), em1804. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/110782

MLA

Ng, Wan "Affective Profiles of Year 9/10 Australian and South East Asian Students in Science and Science Education". Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, vol. 16, no. 1, 2020, em1804. https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/110782