Developing and Validating an Instrument to Measure Students’ Attitude towards Electrochemistry

Abstract

Developing and Validating an Instrument to Measure Students' Attitude towards Electrochemistry 1. Introduction Chemistry curricula commonly incorporate many abstract concepts, which are central to further learning in both chemistry and other sciences (Taber, 2002). Chemistry topics are generally related to or based on the structure of matter, and proved to be a difficult subject for many students (Sirhan, 2007). According to Yochum & Luoma cited in Sia, Treagust & Chandrasegaran (2012) students find electrochemistry difficult to master because they cannot observe or imagine what happens in the microscopic level in an electrochemical reaction. According to Taber as cited in Akram et al. (2014), electrochemistry causes confusion in students and they did not freely assimilate their knowledge across physics and chemistry. Sanger and Greenbowe (1997) cited in Akram et al. (2014) found that students had learning difficulties about galvanic, electrolytic and concentration cells. Research has confirmed that attitudes are linked with academic achievement. Salta and Tzougraki (2004) found that the correlation between high school students' achievement in chemistry and their attitudes toward chemistry ranged from 0.24 to 0.41. Bennett, Rollnick, Green and White (2001) also found that undergraduate students who had a less positive attitude to chemistry almost invariably obtained lower examination marks. Attitude, motivation, and interest are the most important student characteristics associated with successful studies (Dalgety et al., 2003; Berg, 2005b). Attitude towards chemistry is essential; it denotes interests or feelings towards studying chemistry. Attitude and academic achievement are important outcomes of science education in secondary schools. Students' attitude and interests could play substantial role in students' decision to study science (Abulude, 2009). Another reason why it is important to develop students' positive attitudes toward chemistry lessons is that attitudes predict behaviors (Glasman & Albarracín, 2006; Kelly, 1988). For example, Kelly cited in Cheung, 2011 reported that British students' liking for a particular science subject was a good predictor of their actual choice of physics, chemistry, or biology in schools. Research has shown clearly that a negative attitude towards chemistry is the dominant factor affecting student willingness to study further chemistry. Based on social psychological models, it has been shown that attitudes towards topics and themes in chemistry are developed by means of interactive teaching materials. The development of students' positive attitude is necessary because attitude is linked with academic achievement (Cheung, 2009). Weinburgh, (1995) in a meta-analysis of research have summarized that the correlation between students' positive attitude towards science and academic achievement is 0.55 for girls and 0.5 for boys, indicating that an attitude can account for 25-30% of the variance for academic achievement. Bennett, Rollnick, Green and White (2001) also found that u...