The Effectiveness of scientific attitude toward Physics teaching through Inquiry
Method Verses Traditional Teaching Lecture Method of female students at
Secondary School Level in Pakistan
Shafqat Hussain Ph.D (Scholar) Foundation University Islamabad Dr.MuhammadTayyab Alam
Foundation University Islamabad Dr Muhammad Muqsud Alam Bukhari Principal Foundation University Islamabad
Sarfaraz Ahmad Ph.D Scholar Foudation University Islamabad
Nasir Ahmad Ph.D Scholar Foudation University Islamabad
Abstract This study was designed to find the comparative effects of scientific attitude toward Physic of females’ students of Grade 9 teaching Physics through inquiry teaching method and traditional lecture method teaching. The objectives of the study was (a ) to compare the scientific attitude toward physics Grade 9 of female students teaching Physics through inquiry teaching method (ITM) and traditional teaching lecture method (TTLM).one hundred and twenty (120) sciences females students of grade 9, from two schools served as sample of the study. Students of each school were divided into two equivalent groups’ i.e control and experimental group on the basis of pre scientific attitude toward Physics test. Experimental groups were taught through inquiry method and control group by traditional lecture method for twenty two weeks. Post scientific attitude test were administered after treatment to assess the difference in scientific attitudes toward Physics of groups. The data obtained were tabulated and analyzed to compute Mean, Standard deviation and t-value at level 0.05 through SPSS 16.0 software. The post scientific attitude to Physics test shows that experimental group was significantly better than the control group. Keywords: Effectiveness ; scientific attitude ; Physics ; Inquiry Method ; Traditional Teaching Lecture Method of female students at Secondary School Level in Pakistan Introduction Teaching and learning is an active, deliberate and orderly giving information ,skill, attitudes ,ideas and thoughts, it focuses on maximize learning. Teaching and learning is due ability to share and enhance knowledge but the emergence of teaching as profession is recent. In teaching of science, a main objective is to develop learners/students’ problem solving capacities. It is very important for our educational system and it is vital and basic subject of curriculum. Science gives us an opportunity of critical thinking and integrates man’s concepts of natural environment and benefits of the environment. Physics is considered difficult subject by students and teachers also face difficulties in its teaching. In last two decades numbers of studies has been launch for learners/students’ teachings and thoughts and difficulties in concept of Physics and processes. The study is to determine the to measure the scientific attitude toward Physics of females students of grade 9 after teaching Physics through inquiry teaching method and traditional lecture teaching method.
Attitudes Attitude describes the assessment of something or someone. Attitudes based on our
feelings, emotions, knowledge and behaviuor and may be manipulated future behaviour. In prospective of science subject studies learning attitudes are evaluation which may be described as a power of thinking and behaviour. Attitude always has a direction and the direction may be towards someone or something. Attitudes are highly multifaceted and have effects on learning. Reid & Skryabina, (2002), gave following four areas of attitude
1. Attitude of students towards study. 2. Attitude towards the subject. 3. Attitude towards applications what has been studied. 4. The scientific attitude.
Attitude towards science How do pupils feel and think about science. Motivations of students, their interest
and attitude toward science, their desire to become great scientists, researchers became interested after the investigation of Noll 1935 the measurement of scientific attitudes (Shrigley, Koballa & simpson 1988). Morse and Morse stated that if students’ attitude towards science is positive then their attitude towards science curriculum, science teachers and science classroom will also be positive. Positive attitude towards science is directly proportional to success in science courses. Attitude also has an effect on the classroom learning environment (Morse and Morse 1995). Attitude towards Physics
Eridemir stated that students consider Physics as a most difficult among the all science subjects and very few students opt it as compared to chemistry and biology. He further said that not only school students consider it difficult but the opinion of university students was same (Eridemir, 2009). Students dislike science lectures and they don’t prefer the science specially Physics (Matterm and Schau 2002, Rivard and Straw 2000 Dieck 1997, Boylan 1996). Osborne et al stated that students opt for Physics when there is no alternate for them, and then they are studying Physics compulsory. They further added that English students perceive it as an elite discipline and only suitable for gifted students (Osborne et al 1998). Eridemir cited Miller 1961 that positive and negative attitudes of the students do have an effect on their achievement, interest and motivation (Eridemir, 2009).
Anderson (1982) gave following five components of attitude. 1. The emotional components In this component the attitude includes cognitive as well as behavioral components. Emotions are also involved in emotional component. 2. The target
Feeling can direct towards target or away from it. The common targets associated with attitude are schools, curricula, achieving the set objectives which link with science subject’ area with in school. 3. Direction
Attitude can be regarded as positive when these are directed toward when their direction toward the targets. On the other hand attitudes are regarded as negative when these are directed away from the target. The attitude can be measured by giving adjective and opposite statements which are related to liking or disliking , satisfied or dissatisfied and favourable or unfavorable (Anderson, 1982).
Attitudes differ in direction and intensity as well. One may experience and express his/her feeling in more intense way and other may not do so (Anderson, 1982). 5. Consistency
Feelings of the same person about a particular object may vary in different in setting and situation. Consistency of attitude may be varying over the period of time. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY All females’ students studying science in Grade 9th in district Abbottabad was population of research study. The Sample of research study was one hundred and twenty (120) female students studying science of Grade 9 from two schools were taken sample of research study in district Abbottabad Pakistan. Two groups were made in each school on bases means scores pre scientific attitude toward Physics test. One group is called experimental group and is called control group, the experimental groups were given a treatment i.e. teaching through inquiry method in the Physics laboratory and the control groups were treated by traditional teaching lecture method in Physics class rooms. The pre scientific attitudes towards test and post scientific attitude toward Physics test were research instruments. The contents of this research study were made up from topics from Physics book for 9th Grade Class published by khyber Pukhtoon Khyawa Text Book Board Peshawar 2010 and thirty two lessons were made on bases inquiry method and thirty two lessons traditional lecture method. The face validity and contents validity of Pre scientific attitude toward physics test was confirmed by judgmental validation by an experts committee and pilot testing. The reliability of pre scientific attitude toward Physics test was calculated using split-half method (odd-even). The reliability pre scientific attitude toward Physics test was 0.85 by Spearman Brown formula. The work was carried out for the period of twenty two (22) weeks. NULL HYPOTHESES OF RESEARCH STUDY: The following hypotheses were tested to achieve the objective of research study: H01. There is no significant difference between scientific attitude toward Physics in
“Physics as subject” of female students and those taught Physics Grade 9 through inquiry teaching method (ITM) and male students taught by traditional lecture teaching (TTLM) at secondary level.
H02. There is no significant difference between scientific attitude toward Physics in “home work and test Physics” of female students and those taught Physics Grade 9 through inquiry teaching method (ITM) and male students taught by traditional lecture teaching (TTLM) at secondary level.
H03. There is no significant difference between scientific attitude toward Physics in “way you to learn Physics” of female students and those taught Physics Grade 9 through inquiry teaching method (ITM) and male students taught by traditional lecture teaching (TTLM) at secondary level.
H04. There is no significant difference between scientific attitude toward Physics’ means scores achieved of female students and those taught Physics Grade 9 through inquiry teaching method (ITM) and male students taught by traditional lecture teaching (TTLM) at secondary level.
RESULTS Table 1 : Comparisons of attitude towards the Physics mean scores of experimental and control group girls on pre scientific attitude toward physics test Items Comparisons N Mean S. D t. value
Physics as subject Exp girls 60 33.88 5.05 0.17
Con girls 60 33.70 6.43
Home work and test in Physics Exp girls 60 23.93 3.71 0.95
Con girls 60 24.67 4.71
Like to learn Physics. Exp girls 60 43.22 4.03 1.63
Con girls 60 41.47 7.28
Overall achievements Exp girls 60 33.67 6.77 0.76
Con girls 60 33.2 10.10
Graphical representation for Mean, S.D and t. values of experimental girls and control girls in Physics as subject, home work and test in Physics, like to learn Physics and overall attitude toward Physics on basis pre attitude scientific attitude test. Table: 2 Comparisons of attitude towards the Physics mean scores of experimental and control groups girls on post scientific attitude toward Physics test Items Comparisons N Mean S. D t. value
Physics as subject Exp girls 60 66.13 6.09 16.0
Con girls 60 44.47 8.53
Home work and test in Physics Exp girls 60 35.08 2.47 13.38
Con girls 60 25.77 4.80
Like to learn Physics. Exp girls 60 90.57 8.66 22.43
AUGUST 2011 VOL 3, NO 4 Graphical representation for Mean, S.D and t. values of experimental girls and control girls
in Physics as subject, home work and test in Physics, like to learn Physics and overall attitude toward Physics on basis pre attitude tes. DISCUSSION
Table 1: shows that mean scores of attitude toward Physics of experimental girls group in “Physics as subject” (M =33.88, S.D =5.05) ,control girls group (M = 33.70, S.D = 6.43) and t = 0.17, “Home work and test in Physics” in (M =23.93, S.D =3.71) ,control girls group (M = 24.67, S.D = 4.71) and t = 0.95, “Like to learn Physics” experimental girls (M =43.22, S.D =4.03),control girls group (M = 41.47, S.D = 7.28) and t = 1.6 and overall achievements the mean scores (M =32.67, S.D =6.77) ,control girls group (M = 33.2, S.D = 10.10) and t = 0.76. The t-values are less than critical value at 0.05 levels (02.02), which show no significant difference between means scores in pre scientific attitude test of these groups. Hence both the group was same in scientific attitude toward Physics before the treatment.
Table 2: shows that mean scores of attitude toward Physics of experimental girls group in “Physics as subject” (M =66.13, S.D =6.09), control girls group (M = 44.47, S.D =8.53) and t = 16.00, “Home work and test in Physics” in (M =35.08, S.D =2.47) ,control girls group (M = 25.77, S.D = 4.80) and t = 13.38, “Like to learn Physics” experimental girls (M =90.57, S.D =8.66), control girls group (M =49.15, S.D =11.38) and t = 22.43 and overall achievements the mean scores (M =63.92, S.D =12.03) ,control girls group (M = 39.80, S.D = 16.00) and t = 16.00. The t-values are greater than critical value at 0.05 levels (02.02), which show significant difference between means scores in post scientific attitude test of these groups. Hence the experimental girls groups more converge toward Physics than control boys group as a result of treatment. Conclusion The research study shows that female students whose taught through Inquiry teaching method develops more positive attitude towards Physics as compared to those whose taught through traditional teaching lecture method in subject Physics for Grade 9.
