STUDENT INTEREST IN TECHNOLOGY AND SCIENCE (SITS) SURVEY: DEVELOPMENT, VALIDATION, AND USE OF A NEW INSTRUMENT

This study presents the systematic development, validation, and use of a new instrument for measuring student interest in science and technology. The Student Interest in Technology and Science (SITS) survey is composed of 5 sub-sections assessing the following dimensions: interest in learning scienc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of science and mathematics education 2014-04, Vol.12 (2), p.261-283
Main Authors: Romine, William, Sadler, Troy D., Presley, Morgan, Klosterman, Michelle L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Computer Games
Education
Intervention
Item Response Theory
Learner Engagement
Mathematics Education
Psychometrics
Reliability
Science Careers
Science Education
Science Interests
Student Interests
Student Surveys
Technology
Validity
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Summary:This study presents the systematic development, validation, and use of a new instrument for measuring student interest in science and technology. The Student Interest in Technology and Science (SITS) survey is composed of 5 sub-sections assessing the following dimensions: interest in learning science, using technology to learn science, science careers, technology careers, and attitudes toward biotechnology. Our development process included review of existing instrumentation, pilot testing, and expert panel review. The resulting instrument was administered before and after implementation of a biotechnology intervention which used a computer-based game to engage learners in the use of biotechnology to address a societal issue. We employed item response theory (IRT) to explore instrument validity and precision. Results of the psychometric analyses suggest that the SITS survey has a well-defined structure and meets IRT assumptions. Difficulty and discrimination parameters as well as reliability analyses indicate that SITS items provide useful measures of student interest. Finally, we use the SITS to explore the extent to which the intervention used in this study supports changes in student interest and association between students’ interest and related content knowledge. Implications for the future use of this instrument are discussed.
ISSN:1571-0068
1573-1774
DOI:10.1007/s10763-013-9410-3