A Study Of Science Teachers’ Science Attitudes

Science attitude is an important reflection of science teachers’ scientific literacy.As the main participants of science education,science teachers’ science attitudes are closely related to students’ science attitudes and classroom teaching effects on the one hand,and their professional development on the other.Improving science teachers’ science attitudes have become one of the major challenges facing science education,and identifying the current status of science teachers’ science attitudes is important for improving the quality of science education and promoting science education reform.This study focuses on the measurement of science teachers’ science attitudes and aims to explore the current status of science teachers’ science attitudes in China.To this end,the three specific core questions that need to be addressed in this study are(1)What are the components of science teachers’ science attitudes?(2)How to develop an instrument for measuring science teachers’ science attitudes in China?(3)What is the current status of science teachers’ science attitudes in China,using Province Z as an example? Focusing on the core questions,this study firstly,constructed an analytical framework for science teachers’ science attitudes based on the ABC attitude theory;secondly,based on the advice of a Delphi expert panel,a measurement instrument for science teachers’ science attitudes was developed and revised;finally,the measurement instrument was used to investigate the current status of 134 in-service science teachers’ science attitudes in province Z,and interviews were conducted with individual science teachers to initially explore the causes of science attitudes.These facts could provide an empirical basis for the enhancement and development of science attitudes.The study found that components of science teachers’ science attitudes included scientific attitudes,attitudes toward science ontology,and attitudes toward science teaching,and it was definite that the assessment tool to evaluate science teachers’ science attitudes was a five-point Likert scale consisting of 28 projects As a result of the survey,the current status of science teachers’ science attitudes were investigated as follows:(1)science teachers’ science attitudes: the overall situation was relatively positive,the dimensions were interrelated,but professional science attitudes were better than personal science attitudes;(2)science teachers’ scientific attitudes: attitudes toward authority varied;(3)science teachers’ attitudes toward science ontology: poor level of scientific epistemology and unclear performance of social responsibility reduced the positivity of attitudes toward science ontology;(4)science teachers’ attitudes toward science teaching: ascending and then diminishing with teaching experience,with negative affect on negative feelings toward teaching.