Development and validation of an instrument to assess Chinese upper-level elementary students' attitudes towards science. Issue 14 (22nd September 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Guo, Shuchen; Liu, Enshan; Liu, Cheng
• Is Part Of: International journal of science education. Volume 43:Issue 14(2021)
• Page Start: 2374
• Page End: 2401
• Publication Date: 2021-09-22
• Subjects: Attitudes towards science -- instrument development -- Rasch analysis -- factor analysis -- Chinese upper-level elementary students; Science -- Study and teaching -- Periodicals; Science teachers -- Periodicals; 507
• DOI: 10.1080/09500693.2021.1963879
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0950-0693

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to develop an instrument to measure upper-level Chinese elementary students' attitudes towards science by addressing problems with existing ones, as highlighted in the literature. The theoretical framework was drawn from the ABC model, which defines attitudes towards science as consisting of affective, behavioural, and cognitive domains in the study. Instrument development was performed through expert review, small-scale pilot tests and student interviews, large-scale field tests and validation. Factor analysis and Rasch analysis provided reliability and validity evidence. According to the results of the first round of the field test, changes were made to the items and the response category in the second round of the development procedure. The final instrument demonstrated good psychometric properties and consisted of four dimensions: enjoyment of science learning, self-efficacy in science learning, value of science learning and intention to learn and do science.