Girls and science: a study of the attitudes to science of high school students

Abstract

In a case study of over three hundred students in one Canberra high school, the attitudes to science of boys and girls in Years 7-10 were investigated using the Test of Science-Related Attitudes (TOSRA). From this survey population, forty students were selected and interviewed to explore in more detail students' attitudes to science. Parents of the interviewed students were also surveyed to explore possible relationships between students' attitudes and parental expectations and aspirations.
For the seven areas of attitudes investigated, students had positive attitudes to science in the areas of social implications of science, normality of scientists, attitudes to scientific enquiry and adoption of scientific attitudes. They displayed neutral to negative attitudes in the areas of enjoyment of science lessons, leisure interest in science and career interest in science. There was a significant difference between boys and girls in two of the seven areas with girls being more negative than boys to a leisure interest in science, and girls more positive than boys towards the normality of scientists.
When analysed for year at school and achievement in science, the data indicates that older students and those with higher grades in science generally have a more positive or less negative attitude to science. However, as a group, Year 8 girls were more negative than other groups about the enjoyment of their science lessons, about a leisure interest in science and about a career interest in science.
The interviews with students revealed that in general, they liked science and their science teachers but that they would not choose science for leisure activities or for a career. Parents are shown to have high aspirations and somewhat lower expectations for the career prospects of their children. Both parents and students display stereotypical views about certain careers based on gender.
Strategies to improve the attitude to science of boys and girls are suggested. These strategies focus on activities for teachers, parents and the students themselves.

Date of Award	1988
Original language	English
Supervisor	Tim Hardy (Supervisor)