Psychological and social factors related to physical science achievement and attitude of secondary school students
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Authors
Mashile, Elias Oupa, 1963-
Issue Date
1999-07
Type
Thesis
Language
en
Keywords
Science achievement , Science attitude , Science education , Science literacy , Structural equation modelling , LISREL , Psychological factors , Social factors , Secondary school students , Confirmatory factor analysis
Alternative Title
Abstract
School physical science is a prerequisite for science courses at institutions of higher education. Science
graduates are an important link in a nation's scientific and technological development which often
shapes a country's economic development. The purpose of this study was to investigate psychological
and social factors influencing physical science achievement and attitude of black secondary school
students in South Africa.
The first part of the literature study which was concerned with physical science education in South Africa
revealed that few black students chose to study science after standard seven, that failure rates were high
and that science education was generally in a state of crisis. The second part of the literature study
identified psychological and social factors related to science achievement and attitude. These were
home environment variables, teacher and school related variables, personal variables (self-concept,
motivation, gender, ethnicity) and students' abilities. The third part was the construction of a Structural
Equation Model (SEM) specifying the relationships among the psychological and social factors and their
effects on physical science achievement and attitude.
The theoretical SEM fit the data reasonably well. The best fitting model, however, was a revised model
in which several paths were constrained. The latter accounted for a substantial variance in attitude
towards physical science (70.3%) and a meagre 17.7% in physical science achievement.
The variables ability, home environment and self-concept had the greatest total effects on physical
science achievement. Self-concept, home environment and motivation made the greatest total
contributions to physical science attitude. Teacher characteristics and school environment had non-significant
effects on physical science achievement and attitude. Multiple-group structural equation modelling analyses found no significant difference in the structural parameters of boys and girls. Theoretical and educational implications of the findings were discussed and specific recommendations
for improving educational practice in general and physical science achievement and attitude in particular,
were made.
Description
Citation
Mashile, Elias Oupa, 1963- (1999) Psychological and social factors related to physical science achievement and attitude of secondary school students, University of South Africa, Pretoria, <http://hdl.handle.net/10500/18149>