Gender Differences in the Factors Affecting Elementary School Students' Ability to Identify Scientific Problems

초등학교 아동의 과학적 문제 발견 능력에 영향을 미치는 관련 변인에서의 남녀 차이

This study investigated gender differences in the factors affecting elementary school students' ability to identify scientific problems. Scientific problem finding tasks, involving written instruments including IQ tests, content knowledge, science process skills, divergent thinking skills, intrinsic/extrinsic motivation, personality traits, and home environment were administered to 96 elementary school students(male; 50 & female: 46). The data collected was analyzed by means of a t-test, Pearson's correlation, multiple regression analysis, and canonical correlation analysis. The finding indicated that there were significant gender differences in scientific problem finding performance. Female students were significantly higher in both total score and elaborate score of scientific problem finding than male students. Personality traits and intrinsic motivation positively and extrinsic motivation negatively predicted male students' abilities in scientific problem finding. Science process skills, personality traits and intrinsic motivation positively and extrinsic motivation negatively predicted female students' scientific problem finding and IQ positively predicted female students' elaborate score of scientific problem finding.