Factors Affecting Students Interest in Biology
Science Education International Vol. 17, No. 1, March 2006, pp. 31-48
Factors Affecting Junior High School Students’ Interest in Biology1
RICARDO TRUMPER (rtrumper@research.haifa.ac.il), Faculty of Science and Science Education, Haifa University, Israel
ABSTRACT Our study, conducted as part of the ROSE Project, on students' interest in biology at the end of their compulsory schooling in Israel, and its relation to their views on science classes, out-of-school experiences in biology, and attitudes to science and technology, showed that their overall interest in learning biology was relatively positive but not high; girls showed greater interest in it than boys. Students' interest in learning biology correlated closely with their negative opinions of science classes. These findings raise critical questions about the implementation of changes in the Israeli science curriculum in primary and junior high school, if the goal is to prepare the rising generation for life in a scientific-technological era. From deeper analysis of the results curricular, behavioral, and organizational changes needed to reach this goal were formulated. KEY WORDS:
Interest, junior high biology school students, biology.
Introduction As stated by Osborne, Simon and Collins (2003), "the investigation of students' attitudes towards studying science has been a substantive feature of the work of the science education research community for the past 30-40 years" (p. 1049). The importance of this investigation is stressed by a persistent decline in post-compulsory high school science enrolment over the last two decades. Concern has been voiced in many countries, including the UK (Smithers & Robinson, 1988), Australia (Dekkers & DeLaetter, 2001), Canada (Bordt, DeBroucker, Read, Harris & Zhang, 2001), India (Garg & Gupta, 2003), Japan (Goto, 2001), the USA (National Science Foundation, 2002), and every country in the European Union (Commission of European Communities, 2001). Students'
Factors Affecting Junior High School Students’ Interest in Biology1
RICARDO TRUMPER (rtrumper@research.haifa.ac.il), Faculty of Science and Science Education, Haifa University, Israel
ABSTRACT Our study, conducted as part of the ROSE Project, on students' interest in biology at the end of their compulsory schooling in Israel, and its relation to their views on science classes, out-of-school experiences in biology, and attitudes to science and technology, showed that their overall interest in learning biology was relatively positive but not high; girls showed greater interest in it than boys. Students' interest in learning biology correlated closely with their negative opinions of science classes. These findings raise critical questions about the implementation of changes in the Israeli science curriculum in primary and junior high school, if the goal is to prepare the rising generation for life in a scientific-technological era. From deeper analysis of the results curricular, behavioral, and organizational changes needed to reach this goal were formulated. KEY WORDS:
Interest, junior high biology school students, biology.
Introduction As stated by Osborne, Simon and Collins (2003), "the investigation of students' attitudes towards studying science has been a substantive feature of the work of the science education research community for the past 30-40 years" (p. 1049). The importance of this investigation is stressed by a persistent decline in post-compulsory high school science enrolment over the last two decades. Concern has been voiced in many countries, including the UK (Smithers & Robinson, 1988), Australia (Dekkers & DeLaetter, 2001), Canada (Bordt, DeBroucker, Read, Harris & Zhang, 2001), India (Garg & Gupta, 2003), Japan (Goto, 2001), the USA (National Science Foundation, 2002), and every country in the European Union (Commission of European Communities, 2001). Students'