Using a Questionnaire to Improve Instruction

This article explains how a questionnaire was designed and used to help improve students’ attitudes about science and learning. The AESL (Affective Elements of Science Learning) Questionnai... See More

This article explains how a questionnaire was designed and used to help improve students’ attitudes about science and learning. The AESL (Affective Elements of Science Learning) Questionnaire measured various aspects of students’ attitudes including: self-efficacy, interest level, value placed on scientific knowledge, & ability to identify a culture of science where they feel they “fit into the scientific community”. A five point Likert-like scale was used to measure students’ responses. Students also had opportunities to respond in interviews that were conducted. As the authors looked for trends among gender, age and ethnicity, they were able to uncover certain negative attitudes held by females and not males. The authors purport that it is important to determine students’ attitudes along the elements or constructs identified in the questionnaire because it will help teachers create optimal learning environments and influence students in developing a more positive attitude toward the learning of science. The authors conclude with some concrete ways they can design instruction to help their students: include topics that interest students; connect the concepts being taught with current issues or news-worthy topics; use assessments that are more formative in nature (that focus on improvement); and engage students in the culture of science by providing experiences that will dispel the misconception that ‘all scientists are old white men in lab coats’. A copy of the questionnaire is made available through an Internet link. Teachers interested in determining their students’ attitudes toward science will find excellent pointers in this article about how to conduct an attitudes study in their schools.