Mid‑term seminar with Noor Al Haj Ibrahem
Welcome to a mid term seminar where PhD student in science education, Noor Al Haj Ibrahem will present her research on students’ attitudes toward school science, exploring why some perceive it as meaningful and interesting while others experience it as boring or irrelevant.
Title: Ninth-Grade Students’ Attitudes Toward Science: Relevance, Trust, and Future Research Directions
Respondent: Noor Al Haj Ibrahem
Opponent: Per Anderhag, affiliated researcher, Stockholm University
Supervisor: Magnus Oskarsson, associate professor, Mid Sweden University
Time: October 8, 13.00 - 15.00
Place: Campus Sundsvall, N102
The seminar will be held in Swedish.
Abstract
This doctoral project examines ninth-grade students’ attitudes toward school science, with particular attention to the factors influencing their interest. A mixed-methods design was employed, combining quantitative data from the ROSES questionnaire with qualitative data from students’ argumentative texts.
The first study provided a broad mapping of students’ attitudes, identifying perceived difficulty, teaching methods, and relevance as central factors. Many students described science as abstract or disconnected from their everyday lives, while others emphasised its usefulness in relation to health, the environment, or future aspirations.
The second study focused on two constructs within the framework of Expectancy Value Theory: relevance and trust. The findings demonstrated that relevance was the strongest predictor of students’ interest in science, whereas trust contributed positively but was insufficient on its own.
Building on these results, the next phase of the project will either examine the role of science capital in Swedish students’ attitudes or explore cross-cultural perspectives through international comparative studies.