The relationship of science laboratory environment with attitudes toward laboratory work among high school chemistry students

• Main Author: Ortiz, Cesar B.
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 1998
• Subjects: Teaching effectiveness; Classroom environment; Chemistry > Study and teaching; Teaching methods; High school students > Attitudes; Chemistry
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_masteral/1864
• Institution: De La Salle University

This study investigates on how students' perceptions of their science laboratory environment can influence their attitudes toward laboratory work. Three hundred fifty-five high school Chemistry students were systematically and randomly selected from the National High Schools in the Schools Division of Bukidnon as subject-respondents. Descriptive-correlational research method was used in this study. The Science Laboratory Environment Inventory (SLEI) adopted from Fraser (1992) and the Attitudes Toward Laboratory Work in High School Chemistry (ATL WCI) adopted from Hofstein, et al (1976) were the main research instruments in the study. These were validated and tried-out in the local setting before the final data gathering. The Cronbach alpha reliability coefficient for SLEI was 0.824 and for ATL WCI was 0.874 which indicated that both research instruments were valid and reliable to measure the psychological constructs of perceptions and attitudes in the local setting. The data were statistically treated with the means, standard deviation, and multiple regression at 0.05 confidence level using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The findings showed that the high school Chemistry students had high perceptions of their science laboratory environment in terms of Student Cohesiveness, Rule Clarity, Material Environment, and Integration. They had low perceptions on Open-endedness. This means that the science laboratory classes in the sample were dominated by close-ended activities. By and large, the high school Chemistry students had favorable attitudes toward laboratory work. Even if they were favorable and were having interest in performing science laboratory activities, they were undecided on the advantage and on the role of laboratory work in their Chemistry learning experience.The simple (r) and multiple correlation (R) analyses generally showed that the four components of the SLEI (Student Cohesiveness, Rule Clarity, Material Environment and Integration) were significantly associated with the attitudes toward laboratory work among the high school Chemistry students. The four components accounted for a significant amount of variance in the students' attitudes. This was with the exception of the component, Open-endedness, which was not related significantly with the students' attitudes. Moreover, Student Cohesiveness Rule Clarity, and Material Environment were significant predictors of the attitudes toward laboratory among high school Chemistry students. The findings of the study corroborate with the previous studies which posited that attitudes toward laboratory work is influenced by the Science Laboratory Environment.