Journal of Scientific Temper (JST)

A Review on Assessment of Scientific Attitudes of School Students: A case study of Indonesia

2024-12-23T09:51:33+0530

Scientific attitude is essential for school students as it cultivates a mindset of inquiry, critical thinking, and evidence-based reasoning. Assessment of the scientific attitude of school students is crucial because it assesses essential skills and dispositions foundational to scientific thinking and inquiry. By assessing and fostering scientific attitudes, educators can empower students to be evolved as critical thinkers, lifelong learners, and active participants in a scientifically literate society. Using the Web of Science Database, this study systematically reviews the research papers published during 2001-2023 on assessing the scientific attitude of school students in Indonesia. It provides insight into the impact of science activities on students’ scientific attitudes, a measurement of scientific attitudes, and an in-depth analysis of the factors impacting the scientific attitudes of school students. From this review, it can be concluded that after using different practical teaching methods as compared to conventional methods, there is a significant increase in the scientific attitude of school students. All the cases studied quantitative measurements of scientific attitudes of the students. The topic like relationship between scientific attitude and academic achievement remains unexplored in the reviewed literature. The dominance of quantitative approach and absence of both qualitative as well as mixed method researches are observed in these literature. This issue may be considered as an interesting topic of research in the field of science education.

Four-Quadrant Approach for Classification of Bias

2025-01-27T11:21:16+0530

Bias is an act of supporting or opposing a particular person or thing unfairly, by allowing personal opinions to influence judgment. Biases can lead to prejudgments and, subsequently, discriminatory practices. Without sufficient scientific reasoning, the disproportionate emphasis on one perspective over another results in prejudice, bigotry, and flawed choices. Identifying biases effectively is essential to avoid these pitfalls in decision-making, allowing for better, more objective decisions based on critical thinking and sound reasoning. This paper presents a four-quadrant approach for the classification of biases which can help in decision-making quickly and easily.

Measuring the Impact of a Science & Technology Communication Workshop on Participants’ Attitudes

2025-02-17T17:07:54+0530

Disseminating scientific research to the general public has become a crucial yet challenging aspect of research. Effective science communication can bridge the gap between complex scientific ideas and public understanding of research, however, scientists often face difficulties due to technical language and a lack of formal training. Despite their significance, there are only a few science programs that provide opportunities to develop these skills. Our study outlines how interactive science outreach workshops can help address this issue by involving the public and enabling scientists and students, to enhance their communication abilities while sparking interest in science communication. The workshop aimed to equip participants with essential skills to effectively and engagingly convey scientific concepts. Pre- and post- workshop surveys were designed to assess the workshop's impact on enhancing participants' communication skills and changing their attitudes toward science communication. Through these surveys, we aimed to evaluate changes in participants' confidence and intentions to pursue science communication resulting from the training. The participants reported an increase in their confidence in their skills and intention to pursue science communication.