scholarly journals Factors explaining students’ attitudes towards learning in genetics and belief in genetic determinism

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tuomas Aivelo ◽  
Anna Uitto
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Determinism ◽  
Self Concept ◽  
Gene Technology ◽  
School Students ◽  
Learning Materials ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Negative Attitudes ◽  
Explanatory Variables ◽  
Students Attitudes ◽  
Attitudes Towards Learning

It is important to know how current education affects students’ attitudes towards learning, specifically in a quickly evolving and societally relevant field of biology such as genetics. The aim of this study is to examine how teacher and student-related factors explain secondary school students’ attitudes towards the applications of genetics and learning in genetics. In total 421 students aged between 17 and 20 from ten schools participated in the study. We measured students’ liking of, self-concept in and experienced utility of genetics and students’ attitude towards gene technology and belief in genetic determinism. We carried out item response theory based modelling by including teachers’ teaching emphases, learning materials, student gender and the number of attended biology courses as explanatory variables. The attitude towards gene technology and belief in genetic determinism correlated with all independent factors. Male students’ attitude towards gene technology was more liberal; they had higher self-concept, but experienced less utility in genetics and their belief in genetic determinism was weaker than in women. If the teacher’s emphasis was on Heredity or if the textbook with stronger Mendelian emphasis was used in teaching, students had more negative attitudes towards learning in genetics, but the belief in genetic determinism was stronger. In comparison, teacher’s Developmental emphasis explained students’ lower belief in genetic determinism, whereas Structural emphasis correlated with students’ liking of genetics. The results suggest that teachers’ approaches in genetics teaching as well as learning materials need updates to fulfil the needs for genetics literacy in current science education.

Gender and Attitudes toward Computers and Calculators: Their Relationship to Math Performance

1989 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 167-177 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gail F. Munger ◽  
Brenda H. Loyd
Keyword(s):  
High School Students ◽  
Attitude Scale ◽  
Mathematics Performance ◽  
Attitudes Toward Computers ◽  
School Students ◽  
Negative Attitudes ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Students Attitudes ◽  
Attitudes Toward Calculators ◽  
The Relationship

In education, computers and calculators historically have been associated with mathematics and the sciences, and are frequently incorporated into these areas of the curriculum. This may have serious implications for females because of the long history of reported sex differences in achievement and attitudes in mathematics and related disciplines. This study of sixty high school students examines the relationship between mathematics performance and students' attitudes toward technology (computers and calculators), and whether the relationship is similar for males and females. A practice form of the General Educational Development (GED) test was used to measure mathematics performance. Students' attitudes toward computers were assessed by the Computer Attitude Scale, and attitudes toward calculators were assessed by a 4-item measure developed by the authors. In general, students with more positive attitudes toward computers and calculators were found to perform better than students with more negative attitudes.

scholarly journals Attitude to Distance Learning of Schoolchildren and Students: Subjective Assessments of Advantages and Disadvantages

2022 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 46
Author(s):  
Alla Belousova ◽  
Yuliya Mochalova ◽  
Yulya Tushnova
Keyword(s):  
Distance Learning ◽  
Positive Attitude ◽  
School Students ◽  
Self Assessment ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Negative Attitudes ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Subjective Assessments ◽  
Chi Square Test ◽  
Students Attitudes

Currently, during the pandemic, the forced transition to distance learning carries a number of problems. These problems affect various aspects of education, including the study of students’ attitudes to distance learning. The purpose of this research is to study the features of the subjective attitude of schoolchildren and students to distance learning. This research involved 140 secondary school students (average age M = 10.7, SD = 7.2 (66.3% men)) and 30 university students (average age M = 22.5, SD = 2.4 (20% men)). The methods used were a questionnaire, Chi-square test and Criterion φ*. Fisher angular transformation. The study showed that schoolchildren do not intend to continue studying in the distance form if they choose, with a generally positive attitude towards distance learning. The self-assessment of motivation to study in a distance format has not changed, both among schoolchildren and students. Students are more likely to have a positive attitude to distance learning than schoolchildren. The variety of choices of advantages and disadvantages of distance learning is greater among students than among schoolchildren. The perspective of this study is thus to study the factors that determine the positive and negative attitudes to distance learning.

Big boys don't cry: male secondary school students' attitudes to depression

2011 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 61-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Kerr ◽  
Shane Burke ◽  
Patrick McKeon
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Secondary Students ◽  
Young Men ◽  
School Students ◽  
Negative Attitudes ◽  
Written Responses ◽  
Health Group ◽  
Students Attitudes ◽  
Group B ◽  
Great Willingness

AbstractObjectives: In an earlier qualitative study we explored the attitudes of young men aged 15-19 (Group A) to mental health and, in particular, to engaging with the various mental health services available. We found that the participants perceived stigma in connection with mental ill health and they displayed particularly strong negative attitudes in relation to both doctors and medication. The investigation was then repeated with students who had been given a short (less than two-hour) programme called ‘Beat the Blues’ (BTB) about mental health (Group B) in order to assess the effect of that exposure by comparing the attitudes of the two groups of students. This present phase of the analysis is a quantitative examination of the written responses by both Groups A and B to an administered questionnaire.Methods: A total of 42 young men took part in eight focus groups held in boys-only Dublin secondary schools, described in Burke et al. A questionnaire, administered to each participant, examined the students' attitudes to depression and mental illness. The results were analysed by computer using SPSS to search for any trends and any contrasts between groups A and B and among the different socio-economic groups (SEGs) within the sample.Results: Almost no statistically significant differences were found between groups A and B. However, some differences were found among the SEGs. In particular, very significant differences (p < 0.01 in each case), were found in attitudes towards depression, with increasing support for statements such as “People with depression just need to snap out of it”, “Drinking alcohol can help cure depression” and “Depression is only an excuse for laziness” found among the lower SEGs. A very high percentage of students indicated their desire to talk to someone in times of personal stress; this was almost always their best friend or their mother. However, most students said they would be uncomfortable if a friend raised such a topic.Conclusion: The main conclusion – that a single exposure to a positive programme about depression produces little or no effect – is hardly unexpected. Nonetheless, there are indications of a great willingness among older secondary students to learn about and discuss mental health issues. Furthermore, the highly negative attitudes among students from the lowest socio-economic group in this study would seem to indicate that the greatest need for education about mental health lies with working-class adolescents. Hence, it is recommended that a programme of multiple interventions be introduced into the senior cycle of secondary education.

scholarly journals Impact of work experience placements on school students' attitude towards mental illness

2014 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 159-163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vanathi Kennedy ◽  
Ravindra B. Belgamwar
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Secondary School Students ◽  
Career Choices ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
School Students ◽  
Negative Attitudes ◽  
People With Mental Illness ◽  
Students Attitudes

Aims and methodResearch shows that 16- to 19-year-olds express the greatest level of negative attitudes towards people with mental illness. Our aim was to assess the effectiveness of work experience placements in influencing secondary-school students' attitudes towards mental illness and career choices. The Adolescent Attitude Towards Mental Illness questionnaire measured and assessed the adolescents' attitude changes. Pre- and post-evaluation questionnaires assessed changes in their career choices.ResultsThere was a statistically significant change in the adolescents' attitudes, especially regarding categorical thinking and perceptions that people with mental illness are violent and out of control. There was also a positive shift in their career choices towards options in the field of mental health.Clinical implicationsWork experience placements can have a positive impact on secondary-school students' attitudes towards mental illness and may improve the level of student recruitment into the field of psychiatry.

Sex Differences in the Association between Secondary School Students' Attitudes toward Mathematics and toward Computers

1987 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 394-402 ◽  
Author(s):  
Betty Collis
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Attitudes Toward Mathematics ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Male Students ◽  
Attitudes Toward Computers ◽  
School Students ◽  
Negative Attitudes ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Students Attitudes

Sex differences in the positive association between attitudes toward mathematics and attitudes toward computers were examined in 1 018 Grade 8 students and 800 Grade 12 students. The female students were more likely than the male students to associate negative attitudes toward mathematics with negative attitudes toward computers. Participation in an eighth-grade mathematics course with a computer component was associated with positive attitudes toward computers for males but not for females. The integration of computer experiences with mathematics instruction may require some caution to yield more positive attitudes toward mathematics and computers from secondary school females.

scholarly journals Online Learning by Means of Zoom in the Period of the COVID-19 Crisis, as Perceived by Students in Higher Studies [Abstract]

10.28945/4814 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilan Daniels Rahimi ◽  
Gila Cohen Zilka
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Learning ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Learning Disorders ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Negative Attitudes ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Students Attitudes ◽  
Attitudes Towards Learning

Aim/Purpose: This study examined students’ attitudes to characteristics of learning in Zoom, attitudes to the quality of teaching in Zoom and ways of learning, about a year after the outbreak of the COVID-19 crisis. Background COVID-19 crisis caused exposure to online learning on the largest scale known in human history, and that together with the challenges of the transition to online learning, there are also opportunities to change perceptions of teaching and learning, and to include new ways in the learning and teaching process in higher education. Methodology: The research question was: What are students’ attitudes to the characteristics of learning in Zoom, the quality of teaching in Zoom and ways of learning in Zoom? The study is a quantitative one, the questionnaire contained closed questions, and 712 students who study in higher education institutions in Israel participated in the study. Contribution: Facilitators, inhibitors, implications and recommendations were identified. Findings: The findings showed that most students are satisfied with learning in Zoom, and that there was a significant improvement in the students’ attitudes towards learning in Zoom during their studies in the shadow of Covid-19. It was found that older students have more positive attitudes towards learning in Zoom, and learning disorders are connected to more negative attitudes towards learning in Zoom; however, there was also an improvement in the attitudes of students with learning disorders, during their learning experience in the shadow of COVID-19. Recommendations for Practitioners: This study shows that most students are satisfied with learning in Zoom and that there was a significant improvement in students’ attitudes towards learning in Zoom during their studies in the shadow of COVID-19, a year after the outbreak of the COVID-19 crisis. Recommendations for Researchers: It was found that older students have more positive attitudes towards learning in Zoom, and learning disorders are connected to more negative attitudes towards distance learning; however, among students with learning disorders there was also an improvement in attitudes during their studies in the shadow of COVID-19. Impact on Society: The present crisis could be a catalyst for processes that have been taking place in recent years in the use of technology in teaching and learning and in the transition to online learning. Future Research: Future research on the effectiveness of learning by means of Zoom in higher education could examine parameters such as evaluation of the learners’ achievements, the quality of the assignments presented by the students, meeting schedules, whether lecturers manage to teach all the subject matter, the quality of the discussions in Zoom, use of technological tools, use of 21st century skills and similar.

Perceived barriers to help-seeking for depression among secondary school students in Lagos, Nigeria

2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
I Adeosun ◽  
A Adegbohun ◽  
T Peters ◽  
O Jeje ◽  
A Bello ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Secondary School Students ◽  
Treatment Options ◽  
School Students ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Negative Attitudes ◽  
Wide Range

Objective: In spite of a wide range of effective treatment options, a huge treatment gap persists for depression among adolescents especially in low and middle-income countries. The barriers to help seeking for depression among Nigerian adolescents are currently under-researched. Identifying these barriers is critical to the design of interventions towards better utilisation of mental health services. This study assessed the barriers to help-seeking for depression among adolescent secondary school students in Lagos Nigeria. Method: Using a cross-sectional study design, 156 adolescent students attending a public co-educational secondary school in Lagos, south-West Nigeria completed a vignette-based questionnaire which assessed barriers to help-seeking for depression. The vignette depicted an adolescent with depression according to the DSM-1V criteria. Result: The mean age of the participants was 15.9 (± 1.1) years and 49% were males. The most commonly perceived barrier to help-seeking for depression was stigma (50.6%). Other barriers reported included disapproval by families/friends (21.2%), illness-related factors (7.7%), negative attitudes to treatment (7.1%), financial constraint (5.1%), ignorance (3.9%) and preference for spiritual treatment (3.9%). Conclusion: Stigma, ignorance, misperceptions and negative attitudes to treatment are major barriers to help-seeking for depression among adolescents. Destigmatisation and mental health literacy interventions are crucial steps towards facilitating help-seeking among adolescents with depression.

High School Students Attitudes about and Recommendations for Their Peers with Significant Disabilities

1998 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 272-282 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas Fisher ◽  
Ian Pumpian ◽  
Caren Sax
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Inclusive Education ◽  
Student Attitudes ◽  
School Students ◽  
Significant Disabilities ◽  
Negative Attitudes ◽  
Service Models ◽  
Students Attitudes ◽  
The Impact

The present study addresses the impact that placement and service models have had on nondisabled high school student attitudes. Negative attitudes have been a frequently identified barrier to participation, interactions and acceptance. 1413 typical students from two high schools, one inclusive and one traditional self-contained, were surveyed regarding their attitudes toward peers with disabilities and their recommendations for inclusive education. Results suggest that experiences in school significantly impact students' recommendations about the implementation of inclusive education.

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