Discussion
Students’ motivation, attitudes and interest are important elements for science education because these affective elements are highly correlated with students’ success in science learning. Results showed that primary students, in general, have high motivation in science learning, positive attitudes toward science with more positive attitudes relating to higher achievement scores in science. While there were gender differences in selected variables, although not statistically significant different in all variables, the results suggest that females are more motivated in learning science than males. Female students also obtained higher mean scores on the science attitude scale.
Results showed that students’ motivation declines gradually as their grade level increase. This result is consistent with other studies conducted by Hidi and Harackiewicz, 2000; and Singh et al., 2002. According to them, on entering the middle and high school years, the learning emphasis in science shifts from a focus on participation to a focus on performance. Such a transition is difficult for many students. When adolescents perceive that they do not possess the skills needed to meet such challenges, they are less likely to even attempt the tasks (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990). Furthermore, after students enter high school, they typically view science as dull and tedious (Lunetta, 1998). Other grade level results indicate that 8th graders only illustrate high mean scores for Self Efficacy and Performance Goal compared to students in other grades. This suggested that students who were in the last year of primary school believed that they had capabilities to achieve learning tasks whether these were easy or difficult and they wished to achieve highly independently of external indicators of success