Does it matter whether students enjoy learning science? exploring student attitudes towards science in South Africa
Attitudes towards science are seen as key components of an individual's scientific literacy but are often overlooked in favour of achievement scores. While achievement scores convey levels of problem solving skills and intelligence, attitudes convey the emotional evaluations of science and have a powerful influence on behaviour, either facilitating or hindering the learning process. The 2011 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS)1 was used to investigate four broad categories of attitudes: value of science, enjoyment of science, confidence in ability to learn science (self efficacy) and physiological states experienced when engaging in science tasks (anxiety, stress or excitement) The findings indicate that (i) South African students' enjoyment and value of science were far higher than the international average; (ii) students with positive attitudes towards science tend to engage in desirable science behaviours, e.g. reading about science; (iii) positive experiences in the science classroom are linked to positive attitudes expressed by students; and (iv) girls tend to have less positive attitudes towards science than boys do, even when they achieve results that are at the same level as those of boys. Introduction