This study examines attitudes to school science classes amongst primary school children, based on the assumption that these will influence their attitudes and choices later in life. 1298 primary school students in grades 4-6 were given a Likert-type questionnaire and asked to provide verbal explanations for their agreement/disagreement with each…

This study investigates the relationship between pre-service teachers' locus of control and an application measure of science education achievement under a high and a low structured instructional treatment. Eighty college students enrolled in an elementary science methods class were administered aptitude tests which included a measure of locus of…

This paper presents the results of a case study involving Taiwanese elementary teachers who teach science at the elementary grade school level. It advocates the position that a teacher's personal science efficacy belief influences his or her science teaching outcome expectations. It also points to an important metamorphosis that is taking place…

The locus of control construct referred to in this study describes a distribution of individuals on a continuum according to the degree to which they accept personal responsibility for what happens to them. This study showed that for first grade children the interactions between a student's locus of control and his classroom environment may…

Reports on a study designed to compare the effects of two instructional treatments in which the experimental treatment emphasized self-management, goal clarification, and individualized course expectations. An increase in science locus of control was found to be significant for the experimental group. (TW)

Compared performance on Piagetian tasks to determine differences between students (N=52): (1) external subjects having access to manipulatives and those not having access, and between internal subjects having access to manipulatives and those not having access. Indicates access to manipulatives benefits those exhibiting externality with respect to…

Examines the possible influence of locus of control orientation and its relationship to critical aptitudes and developmental variables. Studies six discriminator variables in order to predict an understanding of the nature of science among preservice elementary teachers with respect to locus of control orientation. (CW)

Investigated attitudes toward lectures, self-concept, and locus of control of Egyptian middle school teachers with (N=40) and without (N=40) professional educational training. A set of more desirable attitudes toward lectures, higher self-concept, and greater internal locus of control were found in the group with professional training. (DH)

Research has shown that girls and boys begin at equal levels of performance in mathematics and science, but that during the middle school years differences have been observed in both science achievement and science attitudes of males and females. It appears that once science becomes an option for females, they often do not select science…

Twelve pupils from each of 13 middle school science classes participated in this study. Findings, among others, indicate that two of nine engagement measures (attending and generalizing), together with formal reasoning ability, were related to process skill, achievement, and retention. (JN)