A Biology Attitude Scale

EFFECTIVE CURRICULUM DEVELOPERS are seldom concerned only with the attainment of cognitive objectives. An important consequence of instruction is the students' attitude toward the subject. There is usually positive correlation between attitudes and achievement, but we cannot assume a positive attitude on the basis of achievement alone. It is possible for a student with low achievement to have developed a very positive attitude toward the subject matter, but it is also possible that a student who indicates on posttests that he has learned the subject matter well may also have learned to dislike or, worse yet, hate the content. It is very important for teachers to be aware of the attitudinal characteristics of their students. As Mager (1968) puts it: