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Student attitudes and aspirations towards science

Tytler, Russell and Osborne, Jonathan 2012, Student attitudes and aspirations towards science, in Second international handbook of science education, Springer, Dordrecht , Netherlands, pp.597-625.


Title Student attitudes and aspirations towards science
Author(s) Tytler, Russell
Osborne, Jonathan
Title of book Second international handbook of science education
Editor(s) Fraser, Barry. J
Tobin, Kenneth G.
McRobbie, Campbell J.
Publication date 2012
Series Springer International Handbooks of Education; v. 24
Chapter number 41
Total chapters 96
Start page 597
End page 625
Total pages 29
Publisher Springer
Place of Publication Dordrecht , Netherlands
Keyword(s) attitudes
gender
identity
informal learning
teaching
Summary Research on student attitudes and aspirations towards science has been an increasing focus of concern in the past decade. Much of this is driven by a growing concern about students’ lack of interest in the further study of science in advanced societies. Because attitude to science is a multifaceted construct, the chapter first reviews research into attitudes in order to develop principles for its meaningful measurement. We then explore the main features of student responses to science and examine the common assertion that there is a negative downward trend as many have suggested. Recent research clearly shows a negative correlation between a country’s developmental index and student attitudes to science. The effects of gender, teacher quality and pre-adolescent experience on student attitudes and aspirations towards science are examined in some detail, as well as a number of other factors in attempting to understand the complex pathways and choices that students make throughout their schooling about the study of STEM subjects. The construct of identity is used to make sense of the variety of attitudes and aspirations of students towards science, with particular emphasis on gender and youth in post-industrial societies. Finally, the role of enrichment experiences in science is examined, as a real and potential influence on student engagement with science.
ISBN 9781402090400
9781402090417
Edition 2nd
Language eng
Field of Research 130212 Science, Technology and Engineering Curriculum and Pedagogy
Socio Economic Objective 970113 Expanding Knowledge in Education
HERDC Research category B1 Book chapter
ERA Research output type B Book chapter
Copyright notice ©2012, Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
Persistent URL http://hdl.handle.net/10536/DRO/DU:30042178

Document type: Book Chapter
Collection: School of Education
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Created: Tue, 14 Feb 2012, 11:27:13 EST by Kylie Koulkoudinas