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Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 14, Issue 2, Article 3 (Dec., 2013) |
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Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 14, Issue 2, Article 3 (Dec., 2013) |
ROSE study of Urumqi ninth grade students’ interests in learning Physics and the underlying factors
Yufeng LI
Research Center of Children’s Development and Education in Xinjiang, Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi , Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China, Postcode: 830013.
E-mail: 405447280@qq.com
Yau Yuen YEUNG
Department of Science and Environmental Studies, The Hong Kong Institute of Education, 10 Lo Ping Road, Tai Po, New Territories, Hong Kong, China.
E-mail: yyyeung@ied.edu.hk
Received 4 Nov., 2013
Revised 2 Dec., 2013
Students' interests in physics is one of the national physics curriculum goals for compulsory education and it is also one of students' motivations to learn the subject. To get to know the status which has achieved in the Urumqi Xinjiang, China, we applied the Chinese version of the questionnaire in the ROSE (Relevance Of Science Education) Project as a research tool. We have collected data from 1680 ninth grade students in 28 Urumqi middle schools and then specifically analyzed the students' interest in physics learning and the underlying influencing factors. Our preliminary research findings revealed that: (1) the ninth grade students’ interests in learning general physics is at the medium level, and the supreme is in space exploration , and the minimum in substance and physical changes and the technology application (2) there are significant gender differences on the above subject matters, and boys' interest level is significantly higher than that of girls; (3) The main factors which influence students’interests are the positive impression of physics left on them, their active attitudes towards physics and the limited off-campus learning experience. The article will explore further the possible reasons for all the above mentioned issues and their impacts on education.
Keywords: Urumqi, Chinese learners, Physics, interest of learning
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