Investigating pre-service teachers’ attitudes towards science in Bahrain: Positive or negative?

One of the most important goals of science education in many countries is to promote positive attitudes towards science that is highly considered because science has a prominent role to establish a strong knowledge-based economy and advanced information society in the 21st century. A knowledge-based economic future and advanced information society also depend on an energized knowledge in science and engineering. Globalization of the marketplace and the rapid pace of technology development, which has meant greater competition, call for nation-states to raise the standard of skills and competencies in the future. Traditional industry factory-driven production has declined and has given way to new forms of wealth production through increased marketing, the growth of service industries, electronic communications and e-commerce markets. This new marketing asks for intellectual and creative capabilities, ICT-skills and other competencies.

The role of science in developing knowledge-based economy is related to new competencies and literacy-oriented goals needed in industry and labor market in general. These competencies relate to Constructivist-inquiry approaches (NRC, 2000) based on interactive-engagement approaches (Hake, 2002), knowledge construction (Bodner, 1986; Bruner, 1961; Piaget, 1950), PBL (AAAS, 1989), multiple intelligences (Gardner, 2006; Gardner & Hatch, 1989). Scientific literacy-oriented goals ensure “the capacity to use scientific knowledge, to identify questions and to draw evidence-based conclusions in order to understand and help make decisions about the natural world and the changes made to it through human activity.” (OECD PISA, 2006). For example, daily we read and hear stories about global warming, cloning, genetically modified foods, space exploration, the collection and use of DNA evidence and new drugs that will improve the quality of life and make us look years younger. Furthermore, scientifically literate people would know that energy can be neither generated nor destroyed, but can be transferred from one form to another such as from solar radiation to electrical current. They do not have to be able to analyze the suitability of a particular blend of semiconductors in the construction of a solar photovoltaic cell. As a consumer, and as a citizen, we need to critically evaluate the claims made in the name of science and make informed decisions and choices about these and other science based issues. In short, we need to be scientifically literate and more importantly we need to develop scientifically literate students (OECD, PISA, 2006).

With the purpose to promote science and favorable science- related attitudes to recruit and retain students in science and science related fields, science curricula has been revised or changed in many countries. Scientific literacy, nature of science, history of science, constructivist-inquiry approaches, multiple intelligences are included in science curricula. Scientific literacy consists of knowledge, skills, attitudes (Bybee, 1997; Koballa, Kemp & Evans, 1997; Wright & Wright, 1998; De Boer, 2000; Sutman, 1996; 2001; Kress, 2003). Attitudes have vital importance in science because positive science-related attitudes are the precursors to interest in science and science course selection (Farenga & Joyce, 1998). Attitude towards science can be described as the feelings, beliefs, and values held about something which might be the endeavor of science, school science, the impact of science and technology on society, or scientists (Akcay, Yager, Iskander, & Turgut, 2010).

There are various studies in literature to measure students’ attitudes toward science, chemistry, math or the other fields (Chabalengula, Mumba and Chitiyo, 2011; Çakıroğlu & Işıksal, 2009; Lateh & Muniandy, 2013; Maag, Losinski & Katsiyannis, 2014; Rech, 1993; Timur, 2012). The main idea for all these kinds of studies is to determine students’ attitudes by using the most appropriate measurement instruments, scales, forms or models. By this way, they aim to change students’ attitudes positively towards science and to develop higher cognitive processes through problem solving strategies etc. One of these studies was done by Adesoji (2008) by applying the four-stage (logical) model of solving Chemistry problems as suggested by Ashmore, Casey, and Frazer (1979).

Fraser (1981) classified scientific attitudes by highlighting affective domains such as social implications for science, normality of scientists, attitude of scientific inquiry, adaptation of scientific attitudes, enjoyment of science lessons, leisure interest in science, and career interest in science. The TOSRA has been carefully developed and extensively field tested and has been shown to be highly reliable. There are some studies which employed the TOSRA to measure students’ attitudes towards science (Demircioğlu, Aslan & Yadigaroğlu, 2014; Joyce & Farenga, 1999; Lang, Wong & Fraser, 2005; Osborne, Simon, & Collins, 2003; Salta, & Tzougraki, 2004; Welch, 2010; White & Richardson, 1993). Most research reveals that students develop more negative or less favorable attitudes towards science.

Studies on students’ attitudes towards science were widely investigated in the literature, however this still continues to be an issue and so this topic should be investigated all the time to be able to find our students’ attidues towards science and propose contemporary science teaching approaches so that science can be promoted and also it is very important to investigate their attitudes towards science for teaching and learning of science. In addition, the students have difficulty to understand science consisting of abstract concepts, it becomes important to investigate students’ attitudes toward science. Moreover, in PISA 2015 (PISA, 2015), stduents’ attitudes were examined through students’ anwers to questions in the survey conducted. It is very important to investigate their sttitudes towards science becasue students’ attitudes towards science can influence their level of interest in science, their motivation, and their engagement (Osborne, Simon, & Collins, 2003; Schibeci, 1984). According to the results of PISA 2015 (PISA, 2015), 57% of students were not interested in science-related fields. 8.8% of students were interested in science-related fields such as physics, engineering. 1.5% of students were interested in science-related technicians and associate professions like electrical or telecommunications engineering technician.

Positive or more favorable attitudes towards science results in achievement in science. Therefore, educators should have students engage with science and scientific issues in the world so that motivation and interest in science can be established for students. These positive attitudes and interest can lead students to future careers related to science fields.

Applicability and Benefits

This study represented an initial step in the exploration of pre-service teachers’ attitudes towards science in Bahrain. Pre-service science teachers’ attitudes towards science have a potential influence their science teaching and learning, as well as their future students’ attitudes and achievement. Teachers pass on their attitudes to their students whether they are negative or positive. So, it is necessary to identify pre-service science teachers’ attitudes towards science. If their attitudes are negative, science educators should find a way to develop positive attitudes before they start their science teaching career. Promoting positive attitudes towards science teaching in pre-service science teachers appears as an important task for science teacher educators.

Therefore, attitudes towards science need to be integrated within different context/contents to address the importance of science in curricula.

This study might have implications not only for the development of modules, but also for science teacher educators, science teachers, and instructors who wish to design modules for science.

Measuring pre-service teachers’ science-related attitudes and the results will make an influential contribution to the literature because not only Arab students’ science related attitudes are lacked in the literature but also science educators will be aware of their students’ attitudes and help them to build up positive attitudes towards science.

Purpose of the Study and Research Question

The purpose of the study was to investigate pre-service teachers’ attitudes towards science by using the TOSRA Scale. Within the scope, the following research question was addressed:

What were Bahraini pre-service teachers’ attitudes towards science?