Attitudes Towards Science Among Senior Secondary Students in Fiji

Date
2020-12-08
Authors
Brown, S
Naiker, M
Sharma, B
Wakeling, L
Johnson, J
Mani, J
Kumar, B
Naidu, A
Khan, N
Supervisor
Item type
Journal Article
Degree name
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Wilf Malcolm Institute of Educational Research
Abstract

In order to investigate gender and ethnicity-based differences in scientific attitudes among Fijian students, the widely studied Test of Scientific Related Attitudes (TOSRA) was administered to 1401 senior secondary Fijian students (Years 11–13; approximately 15–18 years of age). Students generally had a positive attitude towards science overall in Years 11–13, with females showing a more positive attitude than males. By Year 13, the attitudes of females towards science had become more negative. The attitude of iTaukei students towards science started out lower than other ethnicities in Year 11 and increased during Year 12, before falling to below the starting attitude levels in Year 13. Fijian students of Indian descent generally had a positive attitude towards science that remained consistent throughout Years 11–13, with an increase in leisure and career interest in science in Year 13. A strong correlation was found between the ethnicity of a student and their first language. Continued science outreach programmes, particularly in Year 12, are important to achieve and retain scientific interest and attitudes among Fijian secondary students.

Description
Keywords
Source
Waikato Journal of Education, 25(1), 57–72. https://doi.org/10.15663/wje.v25i0.704
Rights statement
This journal provides immediate open access to its content on the principle that making research freely available to the public supports a greater global exchange of knowledge.