THE EFFECT OF GENDER AND GDARE LEVEL ON RURAL SARAWAK INDIGENOUS SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ ATTITUDES TOWARDS CHEMISTRY LESSON TO ENHANCE LEARNING

Abstract

The aim of this study is to investigate the interaction effects between gender and grade level among rural indigenous secondary school students’ attitude towards chemistry of Sarawak, Malaysia. The students’ attitudes were measured using Attitude towards Chemistry Lesson scale (ATCLS) form of a multidimensional questionnaire to provide the interaction effects between gender and grade levels. The subscales which are involved in ATCLS are liking for chemistry theory lessons, liking for chemistry laboratory work, evaluative beliefs about school chemistry and behavioural tendencies to learn chemistry. ATCLS was administered to 470 rural indigenous secondary school students between age 16-18 years old which involve 177 males and 293 female students. Only two grade levels were chosen in this study that is form 4(245) students and form 5 (225), students. The two-way MANOVA statistical analysis was used to identify the effects of gender and grade level on rural indigenous secondary school students’ attitude towards chemistry. The finding show that gender  (Wilks’ lambda = 0.955, F (4, 463) = 5.47, p < 0.001) and grade level (Wilks’ lambda = 0.969, F (4, 463) = 3.68, p < 0.05) have a significant effect on attitude towards chemistry. The finding also shows that no significant interaction effect on gender and grade level (Wilks’ lambda = 0.983, F (4, 463) = 2.03, p > 0.05)  on rural indigenous secondary school students’ attitude towards chemistry.