Attitude Toward Science among Secondary School Pupils in Northern Ireland: relationship with sex, age and religion

Abstract

A total of 1549 pupils between the ages of 13 and 16 years attending 12 Protestant and 12 Catholic grammar schools in Northern Ireland completed the Menis scales of attitude toward science. The data demonstrate that although the importance attributed to science is unrelated to sex, age or denominational group, girls, fifth formers and pupils in Catholic schools hold less positive attitudes toward science in the school curriculum and to science as a career than is the case among boys, third formers and pupils in Protestant schools.