High-School Students’ Attitudes toward and Interest in Learning Chemistry

Abstract

Developing positive attitudes toward and interest in science in general and learning science in particular is one of the key goals for teaching and learning the sciences. Thus, over the years, this area fuelled many research studies, these being focused on: content, pedagogical, and curricular issues. In this paper we focused on the issue of enhancing attitude and interests in the context of chemistry learning mainly at the upper secondary level of schooling. The authors of this manuscript suggest that the three key factors that should be considered for enhancing attitudes and interests are the methods used to present the content (e.g. relevance, and historical approach), instructional techniques that are implanted, and gender issues. Although throughout the years we have learned a lot regarding teaching and learning of chemistry we are unable to provide conclusive recommendations regarding how in the context of chemistry education affective constrains could be enhanced. However, based on scholarly developments and research we suggest areas (see above) that should be considered by science (chemistry) educators, curriculum developers, and chemistry teachers who believe that developing positive attitudes one of the central goals.