Grade 10 and 12 Bhutanese Students’ Attitudes toward Science in the Thimphu District of Bhutan

Abstract

Attitudes toward science have received substantive research, mainly because they influence students’ science learning, their achievements, and their participation in science. Therefore, this study, conducted using mixed methods sequential explanatory design, examined the effects of gender, grade, ethnicity, and the parents or guardians’ involvement on students’ attitudes toward science. A total of 383 Grade 10 and 12 students completed a questionnaire measuring attitudes toward science and their parents or guardians’ involvement in science. The data was analyzed using t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and Pearson’s correlations. Based on the quantitative results, 13 students and 15 science teachers were interviewed. The qualitative findings supported the quantitative results. Gender had no significant effect on students’ attitudes toward science, while attitudes based on grade were significantly different. The parents or guardians’ involvement in science was positively correlated with students’ attitudes toward science. The study suggests that students’ attitudes toward science at higher grades can be improved by offering science as a subject to interested students, depending on their science performance in previous grades.