Academic Achievement in Physics-Chemistry: The Predictive Effect of Attitudes and Reasoning Abilities

Abstract

Science education plays a critical role as political priority due to its fundamental importance in engaging students to pursue technological careers considered essential in modern societies, in order to face scientific development challenges. High-level achievement on science education and positive attitudes toward science constitutes a crucial challenge for formal education. Several studies indicate close relationships between students’ attitudes, cognitive abilities, and academic achievement. The main purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of student’s attitudes toward the school discipline of Physics and Chemistry and their reasoning abilities on academic achievement on that school subject, among Portuguese 9th grade students using the data collected during the Project Academic Performance and Development: a longitudinal study on the effects of school transitions in Portuguese students (PTDC/CPE-CED/104884/2008). The participants were 470 students (267 girls – 56.8% and 203 boys – 43.2%), aged 14–16 years old (μ = 14.3 ± 0.58). The attitude data were collected using the Attitude toward Physics-Chemistry Questionnaire (ATPCQ) and, the Reasoning Test Battery (RTB) was used to assess the students reasoning abilities. Achievement was measured using the students’ quarterly (9-week) grades in the physics and chemistry subject. The relationships between the attitude dimensions toward Physics-chemistry and the reasoning dimensions and achievement in each of the three school terms were assessed by multiple regression stepwise analyses and standardized regression coefficients (β), calculated with IBM SPSS Statistics 21 software. Both variables studied proved to be significant predictor variables of school achievement. The models obtained from the use of both variables were always stronger accounting for higher proportions of student’s grade variations. The results show that ATPCQ and RTB had a significantly positive relationship with student’s achievement in Physics-chemistry, indicating that both attitudinal and cognitive variables should be taken into account on science education as well as in educative intervention.

The Effectiveness of Multimedia Instructional Learning Packages in Enhancing Secondary School Students’ Attitudes toward Biology

“…This finding is in agreement with that of Vagg, Bolger, Balta, & Lone (2020) that students like when multimedia are integrated in their school's curriculum. Likewise, this finding is in agreement with that of Vilia, et al (2017) carried out among some 9 th grade Portuguese students that both attitude and cognitive variables have impacts on the academic achievement of students in science education, and both should be considered when designing educational interventions.…”

“…Utilizing such packages made the learning of Biology very interesting. This finding is similar to that of Vilia, et al (2017) that revealed that attitude has a significantly positive relationship with students' achievement. This has implications for teaching and learning in schools.…”

A New Look to a Classic Issue: Reasoning and Academic Achievement at Secondary School

“…Thus, even though the prediction of academic performance has been widely explored and well-established in relation to cognitive factors such as intelligence or basic cognitive processes, there is a broad consensus that multiple cognitive, personality and motivational variables contribute in an interrelated form to predict individual differences in academic achievement (see, e.g., Ackerman and Heggestad, 1997 ; Chamorro-Premuzic and Furnham, 2008 ). For instance, personality predicts academic performance, even when intelligence and cognitive factors are controlled in adolescents (Noftle and Robins, 2007 ; Leeson et al, 2008 ); academic motivation (Lee and Shute, 2010 ), attitudes (Vilia et al, 2017 ), approaches to learning, prior knowledge, study time, homework parents ′education level are also associated to academic achievement (Núñez et al, 2014 ). Therefore, student related factors, school environment and peer influences not studied here should also be included to better assess students learning in future research.…”

Logical Reasoning, Spatial Processing, and Verbal Working Memory: Longitudinal Predictors of Physics Achievement at Age 12–13 Years

“…In our modern technologically advanced society, it is essential to be scientifically literate, and it has become increasingly important for society that there are individuals willing and able to pursue careers within the science and technology field (Tytler, 2014; Vilia et al, 2017). Despite the importance of acquiring and possessing adequate skills and knowledge in science, few studies have explored the mechanisms underlying children’s basic skills in science.…”

“…Abundant research shows that logical reasoning is one key component underlying skills in science (e.g., van der Graaf et al, 2015; Vilia et al, 2017; Berkowitz and Stern, 2018). The reason for this dependence upon logical reasoning is rather straightforward as acquiring skills in science involves learning about abstract scientific facts, theories, and applying complex scientific methods (Klahr et al, 2011; Kuhn, 2011).…”