Publication

The survey results indicate that program participation improves students’ attitudes toward science in several ways. Students indicated that they were considerably more engaged in the science of sound activities than in a generic science activity (question A) or in their typical science classes (question E). Significantly, they were much more likely to agree or strongly agree that while the science of sound was taking place (E-post), science was one of their favorite subjects (71%), their preference for science at other times (E-pre) was much lower (42%). It is remarkable that for so many students the science class becomes a favorite. Assuming that the students’ appreciation for non-science subjects did not decline during this period, this dramatic change indicates that the students’ overall appreciation of classes—and therefore their daily school experience—increased. Further, the effect goes beyond the specific time spent in the program, extending into students’ science self-efficacy (question C) and students’ intentions to pursue a science career (question B).