Process Skills and Attitude towards Science as the Contributing Factors in Cognitive Performance among Special Science Class Students: A Quantitative Study

Abstract

This study dealt with the influence of process skills and attitude towards Science as contributing factors to cognitive performance among Special Science Class students in Lorenzo S. Sarmiento Sr. National High School. The primary goal of the study was to determine the level of process skills, attitude towards Science, and cognitive performance in terms of their respective indicators, the significant difference between process skills and cognitive performance, attitude towards Science and cognitive performance, and what domains of process skills and attitude towards Science substantially influenced cognitive performance. Also, this study utilized a quantitative, non-experimental design with 166 respondents among Special Science Class students in Lorenzo S. Sarmiento Sr. National High School. The average weighted mean, Pearson r, and multiple regression analysis were the statistical tools used in this study. The study concluded that the level of process skills was high, which meant that process skills among Special Science Class students were often manifested; the level of attitude towards Science was also high, except for the family model indicator, which was observed to sometimes manifest; and the level of cognitive performance was also high, which meant that it was often manifested by Special Science Class students. Moreover, there was a significant relationship and high correlation between process skills and cognitive performance, and the same was true of attitudes towards Science and cognitive performance. For regression analysis, in Science process skills, there were six domains that influenced cognitive performance: observing, measuring, and using numbers; making inferences; predicting; communicating; and using time-space relationships. In attitude towards Science, all domains were influenced by cognitive performance, namely, Science is fun, classroom teacher, self-directed efforts, and family model. However, there was only one indicator in Science process skills that did not influence cognitive performance, and this was the classifying. Furthermore, the overall level of process skills and attitude towards Science as contributing factors to cognitive performance among Special Science Class students in Lorenzo S. Sarmiento Sr. National High School was high. Thus, teachers should implement strong, diverse teaching methods that cater to various learning styles, and parents should help them in their Science-related work. With this, Special Science Classes could create a conducive environment that nurtures the development of Science process skills and fosters a positive attitude towards Science, ultimately enhancing students’ cognitive performance in the discipline.