ERIC Number: EJ759985
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2006-Sep
Pages: 17
Abstractor: Author
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0036-8326
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Development of an Instrument to Assess Views on Nature of Science and Attitudes toward Teaching Science
Chen, Sufen
Science Education, v90 n5 p803-819 Sep 2006
This article describes the development and field test of an instrument, the Views on Science and Education Questionnaire, designed to measure participants' concepts of the nature of science (NOS) and relevant teaching attitudes. The questionnaire includes 15 questions, each followed by several items representing different philosophical positions. Participants rank each item on a five-point scale. The items were empirically based and described from the learners' perspectives, but the issues and subcategories covered were validated by a panel of experts. The latest version was administered to 302 college students. Combined conceptions and conflicting thoughts about NOS were detected. Furthermore, the instrument achieved a test-retest correlation coefficient of 0.82. The questionnaire is a valid and practical tool that can be used to determine participants' conceptions and attitudes toward teaching NOS. With this instrument, science educators and teachers can conduct comparison studies and relate views of NOS to other measurable educational outcomes.
Descriptors: Questionnaires, Outcomes of Education, Educational Objectives, Field Tests, Correlation, Scientific Principles, Science Instruction, Teaching Methods, Evaluation Methods, Teacher Attitudes, College Students, Science Teachers
John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Subscription Department, 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774. Tel: 800-825-7550; Tel: 201-748-6645; Fax: 201-748-6021; e-mail: subinfo@wiley.com; Web site: http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/browse/?type=JOURNAL
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: Teachers
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A