PROBLEM SOLVING ABILITY AND SCIENTIFIC ATTITUDE AS DETERMINANT OF
ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF HIGHER SECONDARY STUDENTS
Indira Sharma
INTRODUCTION
Teaching
of science at school stage
helps in development of scientic
literacy. It also helps
in the formation of
scientific attitude. which is essential to dispel
social evils and helps in
development of open mindedness, decision taking ability. Training in scientific
method thus improves
the quality of thinking.
OBJECTIVES
OF THE STUDY
*To
study the scientific attitude of higher secondary students in relation to sex
and three levels of achievements.
*
To study the relationship among academic achievement scientific attitude and
problem solving ability of higher secondary students.
HYPOTHESES
*There
is no difference in scientific attitude of higher secondary students, sex and
achievement wise.
*
There is no statistical difference in problem solving ability of higher
secondary students, sex and achievement wise.
* There is norelationship
among academic achievement, problem solving ability and scientific attitude of
higher secondary students.
METHOD
OF THE STUDY
Descriptive
survey method was followed and Null Hypothesis was framed. The sample consisted
of 240 students of XI class of Government aided Hindi medium school
governed by U.P. Board,
ANALYSIS &
INTERPRETATION
The
scores of problem solving ability and scientific attitude were analysed with reference to sex (Male & Female) and
three level of achievement (HA, AA, LA). The Higher Secondary students were
divided into three categories of achievement on the basis of Ql and Q3. To analyse the data
Mean, SD & t test and product moment and
multiple correlation were used.
Study
of Problem Solving Ability Score
Higher
secondary students have shown average problem solving ability as indicated by
Mean and insignificant t value indicated no
difference in problem solving ability of boys and girls. Thus null hypothesis
is accepted. It can be said either science curriculum or the way of imparting
that subject and may be both are not up to the mark and needs revaluation. To
know the effect of achievement on problem solving ability of students the PSAT
Score were treated at three level of achievement and Mean, SD and t value was
calculated. The calculated t value of male and
female students of the three groups on the basis of achievement is found
significant at .01 level except average and low achievement in male group thus
confirming the significant difference in problem solving ability among three level
of achievement and here also null hypothesis is accepted. It was revealed that high achievers had high
PSA in comparison to average and low achievers.
Hence, it can be said that the present curriculum, for high school is
developing some attribute of systematic learning, thinking and reasoning which
are helpful in developing the problem solving ability to some extent but not
upto the mark as high achievers did possess high value of problem solving
ability, but were of average level, so it might be possible that students cram
the subject matter and achieve high in examination.
Study
of Scientific Attitude of Higher Secondary Students
Scientific
attitude of Higher secondary students was studied sex wise and achievement wise
(three level H.A.L.) and
the Mean, SD and t values were calculated. It was found that the group had average scientific attitude and
mean and insignificant t values confirmed statistically no difference in the scientific
attitude of boys and girls and thus null hypothesis was rejected. The calculated t values of male and female students on the
basis of three groups of achievement inferred the difference among HA and LA
only. HA and AA did
not differ in their scientific attitude
as confirmed by insignificant t values. Hence, it can be said that high achievers
have high scientific attitude in comparison of low achievers; but in reality that is of only average level,
which is due to unscientific way of teaching this subject. On the basis of
value of coefficient of correlation, it
can be inferred that all the three variable achievement and problem solving ability, achievement and scientific attitude, scientific attitude and
problem solving ability all are significantly correlated as all the values are
significant at .01 level, but
relationship is low in boys and not in
girls.
CONCLUSION
The
present school science curriculum is able to develop only average level of
scientific attitude and problem solving ability among higher secondary students
and a positive relationship exists among among
Achievement, problem solving ability and scientific attitude. Hence, the
improvement in academic achievement and for the eradication of superstition,
high level of scientific attitude and problem solving ability has to be
developed among students and for that science education must be improved.