Measurement Research Of Junior Middle School Student's Attitudes Towards Science

In the cross of centuries, basic education curriculum reform begins in China. One of the specific goals of the curriculum reform is to change the tendency of overemphasizing knowledge-instruction and emphasize the formation of active learning attitude, make the process of learning basic knowledge and skills include the ways to learn to learn and shape right values at the same time. Meanwhile, goals of affect, attitude and values are stated clearly in each curriculum standard, and suggestions on corresponding teaching and evaluation are given.Science course is a basic subject for students to learn science, aiming to cultivate their science literacy. In many countries, science is an important component of school courses and is going to enter school curriculum system earlier and earlier. For long time, science teachers in our country pay attention to the delivery of science knowledge to students, and replace the development of students'competence and education of their affect with the master of knowledge. In the present practice of curriculum reform, that how to evaluate affect,attitude and values attracts thorough attention from teachers and science teaching staff.Based on the literature of China and abroad, and the theoretical framework, questionnaire of junior middle school students'attitude toward science are constructed through the trial test of 271 subjects of Wuhan and item selection. This questionnaire was used to survey 459 junior middle school students from four middle schools in Wuhan, and confirm factorial analysis was employed to examine the reliability and validity of the results. Besides, various ways were used to survey the differences in gender and grade among the participants. The results indicate that:(1) Science attitude of junior middle school students in the present research means junior middle school students'attitude toward science. Three dimensions are included: attitude to science course, perception of learning science and perspectives on science and technology.(2) The internal concordance coefficient of the questionnaire, which was constructed according to the structure of junior middle school students'attitude toward science is 0.9156 and split-half reliability coefficient is 0.8902, X2(626)=1555.83,total X2=2.48.NFI=0.93, NNFI=0.95, CFI=0.96, RMSEA=0.062. Therefore, the questionnaire can be employed as the instrument to evaluate the junior middle school students'attitude toward science.(3) Middle school students'attitude toward science in Wuhan, where integrate science trail is being carried out develops fairly well. (4) There is gender difference among the participants in the dimensions of attitudes toward science and perception of learning science. Male students behave better than female students.(5) There is grade difference among the participants. As grade becomes higher, their science attitude, attitude toward science and perception of learning science tend to decrease. Significant difference exists between students in Grade 7 and Grade 8.(6) There is no grade or gender difference in the dimension of perspective on science and technology among junior middle school students.