Students' Sense of School Belonging as a Predictor of Science Proficiency and Attitude Toward Science: A Comparison Between Taiwan and the United States

• In Event: 63.084 - MTCC Roundtable Session 25
  In Roundtable Session: 63.084-7 - Advances in Learning Environment Studies

Abstract

This study used data from the 2015 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) to examine differences between 8th grade students in Taiwan and the U.S. in how students’ sense of school belonging relates to science achievement and attitude toward science, and how students’ sense of self-belonging moderates the relationship between attitudes toward science and science achievement. School belonging emerged as a significant predictor of both science achievement and attitude towards science, and this relationship was similar among both Taiwanese and U.S students.

Authors

• Thomas J. Smith, Northern Illinois University

• David A. Walker, Northern Illinois University

• Hsiang-Ting Chen, Northern Illinois University

• Zuway-R Hong, National Sun Yat-sen University