Relationships between the Availability and Use of Science Equipment and Attitudes to both Science and Sources of Scientific Information in Benue State, Nigeria.

Abstract The influence of both teacher and pupil use of science equipment on pupils’ attitudes to science within third and fourth forms (aged mainly 14 to 15 years) was examined in Nigerian schools. It was found that schools making good use of laboratory equipment inculcated more favourable attitudes to ‘scientific inquiry’ and ‘scientists/normality of scientists’ with both boys and girls than schools making less use of such equipment. With girls additional significant associations with the degree of use of science equipment occurred with the following attitude dimensions, namely, ‘social implications of science’, leisure interests in science’, ‘objectivity in science’ and ‘practical work’. Thus schools making considerable use of science equipment, particularly with girls, were associated with more positive attitudes to many aspects of science.

[1]  A. Kelly,et al.  Sex Differences in Science and Technology Among 11‐year‐old Schoolchildren: II‐‐affective , 1984 .

[2]  W. Wilkinson,et al.  Factors Related to Secondary School Students’ Attitudes to Science in Benue State of Nigeria , 1983 .

[3]  W. Wilkinson,et al.  New Hull Scales for the Measurement of Attitudes to Science. , 1982 .

[4]  B. Chadwick.  Practical work in physics in developing countries , 1979 .

[5]  Paul C. Stevens.  On the Nuffield Philosophy of Science , 1978 .

[6]  P. Gardner.  Attitudes toward physics: Personal and environmental influences , 1976 .

[7]  N. Entwistle,et al.  ATTITUDES TO SCHOOL SUBJECTS: A REPERTORY GRID TECHNIQUE , 1974 .

[8]  J. Wilmut.  The Effect of Project Work on the Attitudes to Science Held by Sixth-Form Pupils. , 1973 .

[9]  R. Starr.  A study of the use of “invitations to enquiry” and student attitude , 1972 .

[10]  Harry F. Fulton.  A Comparative Study of Student Attitudes Toward Science and the Ability of the Teacher To Make Material Understandable in Individualized and Group Approaches to BSCS Biology. , 1971 .

[11]  Glenn A. Isserstedt,et al.  Attitudes Concerning Scientists: A Study of a Selected Group of High Ability Students , 1971 .

[12]  Robert L. Shrigley.  Teaching science in Africa , 1971 .

[13]  H. E. Flynn,et al.  EVALUATION OF A CURRICULUM , 1970 .

[14]  K. Fogelman.  PIAGETIAN TESTS AND SEX DIFFERENCES‐‐II , 1970 .

[15]  Clarence H. Boeck,et al.  A self‐instructional laboratory for science teachers , 1968 .

[16]  P. Schwirian.  On measuring attitudes toward science , 1968 .

[17]  W. Sluckin,et al.  An introduction to statistics for the social sciences , 1955 .