ATTITUDES TOWARD SCIENCE OF URBAN 7TH-GRADE LIFE-SCIENCE STUDENTS OVER TIME, AND THE RELATIONSHIP TO FUTURE-PLANS, FAMILY, TEACHER, CURRICULUM, AND SCHOOL

This study was conducted to determine changes in attitude toward science over time from the end of the first semester to the end of the second semester among seventh-grade life science students in a southeastern urban school system. The average attitude toward science of the 299 seventh graders changed from an undecided to a positive attitude toward science: 54 percent of the student sample remained the same in their attitude toward science, 46 percent had a change in attitude, 36 percent maintained a positive attitude toward science, and 20 percent of the student sample changed from a negative or undecided attitude to a positive attitude. Forty-four percent of the sample ended with a negative or undecided attitude toward science. Attitudinal subscales for this study included attitude toward the science teacher, science curriculum, and school. Significant relationships were found among the attitudinal subscales.