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Quantifying attitude to chemistry in students at the University of the South Pacific
Brown, Stephen Sharma, B. N. Wakeling, Lara Naiker, Mani Chandra, Shaneel Gopalan, R. D. Bilimoria, V. B.
Brown, Stephen
Sharma, B. N.
Wakeling, Lara
Naiker, Mani
Chandra, Shaneel
Gopalan, R. D.
Bilimoria, V. B.
Abstract
The attitude towards the study of chemistry for new entrant chemistry students from a multi-national, regional, tertiary educational institution in the South Pacific was investigated using a purpose-designed diagnostic instrument. The Attitude toward the Study of Chemistry Inventory (ASCI) was used to quantify attitude in a cohort of first year undergraduate (n = 144) and foundation (n = 108) chemistry students. A similar, generally positive attitude to the study of chemistry was shown by both groups of students. Exploratory factor analysis using principle axis factoring and direct oblimin rotation was used to identify factors within the pooled data. Three factors accounted for more than 50% of the total variance, while Cronbach's alpha values for the factors 1, 2 and 3 were 0.92, 0.68 and 0.78, respectively. Factors 1 and 2 were consistent with known constructs of attitude, namely affective (factor 1) and cognitive (factor 2). However, the other factor (3) identified in this study was designated “Value”, which may reflect the students' choice of chemistry as a career path. ASCI may be a suitable tool for monitoring students' attitude throughout a degree and also to monitor the impact of novel approaches for teaching chemistry and engaging students.
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Date
2014
Type
Journal article
Journal
Chemistry Education Research and Practice
Book
Volume
15
Issue
2
Page Range
184-191
Article Number
ACU Department
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Open Access Status
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Controlled