What Is Known about Attitudes toward Science?
Attitude and Achievement
Several reviews indicate a weak positive relationship between attitudes and achievement in science (Willson, 1983; Shrigley, 1990). It is not surprising that attitudes do not relate to achievement behavior more strongly. First, attitudes do not directly influence behavior according to Fishbein’s and Ajzen’s (1975, 1981) model. Rather, attitudes are one of several contributors to behavioral intentions which do directly influence behavior. Second, relative attitude may be more important than the absolute level of attitude in influencing achievement behavior. For example, devoting time to biology homework versus English homework on a given evening might be more influenced by the relative strengths of a student’s attitudes toward these subjects than by the absolute strength of the student’s attitudes. Of course, external factors will influence
such choices as well. Research relating attitudes to achievement in science has not examined the relative strength of attitudes toward science versus other subject matters. In support of the need to examine attitudes across subject matters, Marsh (1990) found evidence that students’ internal relative assessments combine with external information in determining the strength of students’ self-concept across domains. In the present study, we examine attitude across several subject matters.
What Is Known about Attitudes toward Science?
Attitude and Achievement
Several reviews indicate a weak positive relationship between attitudes and achievement in science (Willson, 1983; Shrigley, 1990). It is not surprising that attitudes do not relate to achievement behavior more strongly. First, attitudes do not directly influence behavior according to Fishbein’s and Ajzen’s (1975, 1981) model. Rather, attitudes are one of several contributors to behavioral intentions which do directly influence behavior. Second, relative attitude may be more important than the absolute level of attitude in influencing achievement behavior. For example, devoting time to biology homework versus English homework on a given evening might be more influenced by the relative strengths of a student’s attitudes toward these subjects than by the absolute strength of the student’s attitudes. Of course, external factors will influence
such choices as well. Research relating attitudes to achievement in science has not examined the relative strength of attitudes toward science versus other subject matters. In support of the need to examine attitudes across subject matters, Marsh (1990) found evidence that students’ internal relative assessments combine with external information in determining the strength of students’ self-concept across domains. In the present study, we examine attitude across several subject matters.
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