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The contributions of enrichment activities towards science interest and science achievement
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Type
Thesis
Author
Lam-Kan, Kim Swee
Supervisor
Chang, Shook Cheong
Abstract
Research in science education has pointed out that co-curricular activities have favourable effects on science learning. This study was an experimental investigation to determine whether science enrichment activities would enhance interest and improve achievement in science.
The subjects comprised 180 thirteen year-old Secondary Two girls drawn from a Singapore school. They were organised into five groups : two experimental, two control, and one Hawthorne control groups. All girls shared the same science teacher.
Pre-test was administered only on one experimental, one control, and the Hawthorne control groups, whereas all five groups were post-tested.
The two experimental groups participated in a series of enrichment activities chosen from the range available at the Singapore Science Centre. These activities, conducted at the Science Centre, were designed to complement topics taught in school at the time of the experiment, which took place during the final term of school. The study depended largely on the school science teacher and Science Centre's officers who collaborated in planning, organising and executing the principal treatment activities. The control subjects differed in that they were not given any enrichment activities. The Hawthorne control group was however brought on excursions to places of interest which were totally unrelated to their science lessons. Altogether five educational visits were made to the Science Centre and five excursions were conducted elsewhere.
Pre- and post- tests were carried out using two standardised instruments, namely the Reed Science Activity Inventory and the Co-operative Science Test. The former was employed to give a measure of science interest, the latter to assess acquisition of science concepts. Achievement in science was based on grades attained in the final term science examination. The subjects' views on the enrichment programmes provided and their views on their science lessons were also sought through the use of opinionnaires and open-ended written responses. Analyses of variance, t-tests and Pearson product-moment correlation procedures were applied to the scores. Subjects' views were summarised and the school teacher's report recorded.
The statistical results on post-test scores revealed that compared to all their control peers the two experimental groups showed significantly (p < 0.01) more interest in science and made significantly (p < 0.01) greater improvement in their science concept attainment and in science achievement. The majority (over 90%) of the experimental subjects expressed that the activities had helped to build up their science interest. In contrast, over 80% of the control groups remarked that their interest in the subject had not changed over the period of the study. Correlations between the scores of science interest, concept attainment and achievement were also high (p < 0.01).
Based on these findings the study concluded that participation in science enrichment activities which were meaningfully related to familiar topics, would facilitate the development of science interest and improve science achievement.
The subjects comprised 180 thirteen year-old Secondary Two girls drawn from a Singapore school. They were organised into five groups : two experimental, two control, and one Hawthorne control groups. All girls shared the same science teacher.
Pre-test was administered only on one experimental, one control, and the Hawthorne control groups, whereas all five groups were post-tested.
The two experimental groups participated in a series of enrichment activities chosen from the range available at the Singapore Science Centre. These activities, conducted at the Science Centre, were designed to complement topics taught in school at the time of the experiment, which took place during the final term of school. The study depended largely on the school science teacher and Science Centre's officers who collaborated in planning, organising and executing the principal treatment activities. The control subjects differed in that they were not given any enrichment activities. The Hawthorne control group was however brought on excursions to places of interest which were totally unrelated to their science lessons. Altogether five educational visits were made to the Science Centre and five excursions were conducted elsewhere.
Pre- and post- tests were carried out using two standardised instruments, namely the Reed Science Activity Inventory and the Co-operative Science Test. The former was employed to give a measure of science interest, the latter to assess acquisition of science concepts. Achievement in science was based on grades attained in the final term science examination. The subjects' views on the enrichment programmes provided and their views on their science lessons were also sought through the use of opinionnaires and open-ended written responses. Analyses of variance, t-tests and Pearson product-moment correlation procedures were applied to the scores. Subjects' views were summarised and the school teacher's report recorded.
The statistical results on post-test scores revealed that compared to all their control peers the two experimental groups showed significantly (p < 0.01) more interest in science and made significantly (p < 0.01) greater improvement in their science concept attainment and in science achievement. The majority (over 90%) of the experimental subjects expressed that the activities had helped to build up their science interest. In contrast, over 80% of the control groups remarked that their interest in the subject had not changed over the period of the study. Correlations between the scores of science interest, concept attainment and achievement were also high (p < 0.01).
Based on these findings the study concluded that participation in science enrichment activities which were meaningfully related to familiar topics, would facilitate the development of science interest and improve science achievement.
Date Issued
1985
Call Number
Q183.4.S5 Lam
Date Submitted
1985