Attitude matters more: the impact of perceived competence and attitudes toward science on science engagement among university students

ABSTRACT

The nexus between science engagement and scientific literacy is established in the literature. However, very little, if any, delved deeper into the interplay of perceived competence, attitudes toward science, and science engagement of different groups of learners at different levels. This study explored the interaction of perceived competence, attitudes, and science engagement among university students majoring in computer science and communications and media at one of the universities in the Kyrgyz Republic. Informed by quantitative survey research design, a five-point Likert scale questionnaire with items adopted from the literature was used to collect data through a print survey from 149 participants. Data collected underwent partial least squares-structural equation modeling using SmartPLS 4. Results revealed the overall significant positive direct effect of perceived competence on attitudes toward science but not on science engagement, the positive direct effect of attitudes toward science on science engagement, and its significant indirect effect between perceived competence and science engagement. A reflection on the importance of developing, strengthening, and scaffolding positive attitudes toward science during the teaching and learning process is provided.

KEYWORDS:

• Perceived competence
• attitudes
• science engagement

Acknowledgment

The author would like to acknowledge the significant assistance of Adelya Rustamova, Meder Ymanaliev, and Mariiam Raiimzhanova, undergraduate computer science majors at the University of Central Asia-Naryn Campus, Naryn, Kyrgyz Republic, in collecting and enumerating the data.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Declaration of Interest

The author reports there are no competing interests to declare.

Ethics Statement

In accordance with the University procedures, a team of faculty from the Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences of the School of Arts and Sciences of the University of Central Asia reviewed the research protocol, which was approved prior to the conduct of the study. The following elements were carefully considered and followed: Although the participant selection employed convenience and purposive sampling in the quantitative and qualitative phases, respectively, participation in the study was completely voluntary. Participants were asked to sign an informed consent form after being briefed that their participation was anonymous, their responses would be kept confidential, and that they were free not to continue answering the survey or interviews at any time without punishment. They were also informed that some of their anonymized interview excerpts may be included in the article for publication.