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Attitudes towards science among senior secondary students in Fiji
Naiker, Mani Sharma, Bibhya Wakeling, Lara Johnson, Joel Benjamin Mani, Janice Kumar, Bijeta Naidu, Anji Khan, M. G. M. Brown, Stephen
Naiker, Mani
Sharma, Bibhya
Wakeling, Lara
Johnson, Joel Benjamin
Mani, Janice
Kumar, Bijeta
Naidu, Anji
Khan, M. G. M.
Brown, Stephen
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.
Keywords
Test of Scientific Related Attitudes (TOSRA), ethnicity, gender, senior secondary students, Fiji Islands
Date
2020
Type
Journal article
Journal
Waikato Journal of Education
Book
Volume
25
Issue
1
Page Range
57-72
Article Number
ACU Department
Collections
Relation URI
Source URL
Event URL
Open Access Status
Published as ‘gold’ (paid) open access
License
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0
File Access
Open