In late 2008, the development of an instrument
capable of measuring students’ attitudes
toward STEM began. In order to create this new
instrument, the research study was divided into
three phases. Phase I consisted of the development
of an instrument capable of measuring students’
attitudes toward STEM. A panel of experts
was assembled and utilized for initial face validity
as well as item development. Phase II verified
the instrument through pilot-testing and high
school student focus group interviews. Results
from the pilot test in addition to student responses
were then used to revise the instrument.
Phase III completed the intended study by
implementing the revised instrument at two high
school settings; a conventional college-preparatory
school and a STEM-based college-preparatory
school. It was hypothesized that students
enrolled in the STEM-based high school program
would exhibit more positive attitudes
toward STEM when compared to students in a
conventional college-preparatory high school
program. It was also hypothesized that students
exposed to STEM education for a longer period
of time would exhibit a more positive attitude
toward STEM than students who were just entering
the program. Finally, it was hypothesized
that male students would exhibit a more positive
attitude toward STEM than would female students.
These hypotheses were tested in an
attempt to provide the students’ attitude toward
STEM instrument with an additional example of
construct validity