Relation among Students' Science-related Attitudes, Science Achievement, Science Process Skills, and Teachers' Attitudes

중학생의 과학에 관련된 태도, 과학생적, 과학 탐구능력, 과학교사의 과학에 대한 태도의 상관관계

The purpose of this study is to determine which variable is the best predictor of students' science-related attitudes. Three influential variables were tested : students' science achievement. students' science process skills, and teachers' attitudes toward science. This study has been made on the basis of questionnaire from 205 1st graders in 5 different middle schools in Seoul. The instruments used for measuring attitudes were TOSRA and the questionnaire developed by Sung-Jae Pak(1980). The instrument used for measuring science process skills was a standardized test developed by Youne-Woo Lee(1989). The results was analyzed by multiple-regression in the statistical packages SPSS/PC+. The major findings of this study are as follows. 1. The mean score of students' science-related attitudes was 66.8, and there was no significant difference according to gender of students and teachers(p> .05). 2. The mean score of students' science process skills was 61.1, and there was no significant difference according to gender of students and teachers(p> .05). 3. Students' science process skills was the best predictor of students' science-related attitudes among three variables(R=0.3102, p< .05). 4. The subjects were divided into 2 groups by students' science achievement. In the high score group, students' science achievement was the best predictor of students' science-related attitudes (R=0.3406, p<.05). And in the low score group, none of the variables was related to students' science-related attitudes (p> .05). 5. In students who has a male science teacher, students' science process skill was the best predictor of students' science-related attitudes (R=0.3220, p<.05). And in students who has a female science teacher, students' science achievement was the best predictor of students' science-related attitudes (R=0.3480, p<.05).