2018 Volume 58 Issue 3 Pages 319-330
The aims of this study are to examine when lower secondary school students do not like science, when gender differences of dislikes arise, and why some students do not like science from the framework of expectancy-value theory. In this study, the control belief for each unit was measured as the indicator of expectancy, and the interest value of each unit of the learning content was measured as the indicator of task value perception. Analysis of the results suggested the following: (1) In boys, there was no clear trend with regard to their like and dislike of science, whereas in girls, it was significantly reduced in the second grade, (2) Gender differences in the like and dislike of science emerged from the second grade and further expanded in the third grade, (3) In any grade, both the control and the interest value influenced the students’ like and dislike of science , but related aspects differed depending on grade and unit, and (4) The unit in the physics field has lower control beliefs when relative to other units.
