Instruments

Student Interest in Technology and Science (SITS) Survey: Development, Validation, and Use of a New Instrument

Description

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.

Instruments

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INSTRUMENT DETAILS

Topic(s)
STEM Career Opportunities and Workforce Development
Youth Motivation and Interests in STEM
Author
Springer Link
Target Gradespan(s)
Elementary school (K-5)
Middle school (6-8)
High school (9-12)
Post-secondary
Additional Disciplines
Bioscience - general
Computer Science - general
Engineering - general
Environmental Science - general
Mathematics - general
Additional Target Participants
Students
English Learners
Students eligible for Free/reduced price lunch
Students with disabilities
American Indian or Alaskan Native
Asian
Black or African American
Hispanic or Latino
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
White