THE PREDICTIVE EFFECTS OF ENGAGEMENT IN SCIENCE LESSONS AND ATTITUDES TOWARD SCIENCE ON SOUTHEAST ASIAN GRADE 8 STUDENTS’ SCIENCE ACHIEVEMENT IN TIMSS 2015

Year 2017, Volume: 6 , 142 - 152, 01.09.2017

Yoon Fah Lay

Abstract

This study explored the predictive effects of students’
engagement in science lessons and attitudes toward science on science
achievement among Southeast Asian eighth graders in TIMSS 2015. In this study, students’ views
on engaging teaching in science lessons, students’ interest in and liking of
learning science, understanding about the importance of and the usefulness of
the subjects (attainment value and utility value), and  self-confidence or self-concept in their
ability to learn science were measured. Data were obtained from 9,726 Malaysian students, 6,116 Singaporean students, and
6,482 Thai students who participated in TIMSS
2015. The results of the present study indicated that Southeast
Asian eighth graders’ views on engaging teaching in science lessons, liking,
valuing, and confidence in learning science were positively and significantly
associated with their science achievement in TIMSS 2015 except for the
relationship between students confidence in science with science achievement
for Malaysian samples. Southeast Asian eighth graders’ liking, valuing, and
confidence in science also showed significant predictive effects on
their science achievement except for Malaysian grade 8 students’ confidence in
science which showed an inverse contribution to science achievement. On the
other hand, Malaysian and Thai female students scored significantly
higher than their male counterparts on the TIMSS 2015 science assessment. This
study provides information on prerequisites of Southeast Asian students’
science learning. Implications of the findings for educational policy and
practice are discussed.   

Keywords

Engagement in science lessons, attitudes toward science; science achievement, TIMSS

References

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