A Multivariate Analysis of the Relationship Between Attitude Toward Science and Attitude Toward the Environment

Abstract

Environmental education researchers have done little to identify the relationship between attitude toward science and attitude toward the environment. In this study attitudinal measures on science and the environment from the 1991 British Columbia Assessment of Science (D. Bateson, F. Anderson, et al., 1991; D. Bateson, G. Erikson, J. Gaskell, & M. Wideen, 1991) were analyzed to examine whether attitude toward science correlated with attitude toward the environment and how they correlated. Canonical correlation analysis was used, and 2 statistically significant connections were found. The 1st was labeled general positive attitude toward science versus general positive attitude toward the environment. The 2nd was labeled natural resources dilemma in the set of attitude toward the environment versus importance but lack of interest in the set of attitude toward science.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Xin Ma

Xin Ma is with the Centre for Research in Applied Measurement and Evaluation at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. David J. Bateson is with the Department of Curriculum Studies at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.