Predicting elementary school students' science achievement and science process skills using affective variables

This study was conducted to investigate the relationship between seventh grade students' science achievement, science process skills (SPS), motivation to learn science, continuing motivation for science learning, and attitude towards using the steps of the scientific process. For this purpose, both descriptive and correlational survey models based on quantitative research were used. The study was carried out with a total of 641 seventh grade students from six elementary schools in the province of Tokat during the second term of the 2021-2022 academic year. Regarding the academic achievement of the students, their science course grades on the first semester report cards were taken into consideration. In addition, "Science Process Skills Test" (SPST), "Science Motivation Scale" (SMQ), "Continuing Motivation for Science Learning Scale" (CMSL) and "Attitude towards Using the Steps of the Scientific Process Scale" (ASPS) were administered as data collection tools in the study. Within the scope of the data analysis, first descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, minimum value, maximum value) were calculated to determine the level of the relevant variables. Afterwards, multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used to test whether the variable of motivation to learn science would show any difference by gender, and independent samples t-test was used to identify whether the other key variables would differ by gender. Then, Pearson correlation coefficients were interpreted to identify the relationships between the variables. Finally, multiple linear regression analysis was performed to determine the predictive power of the affective variables in predicting academic achievement and SPS. Results of the descriptive statistics revealed that the level of SPS, intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation and anxiety dimensions of the SMQ, and the continuing motivation for science learning were at the moderate level; while, that of the other variables were found to be at high level. Furthermore, it was observed that the variable of science achievement, SPS and the anxiety subdimension of the SMQ showed difference in favor of females, whereas continuing motivation for science learning and the intrinsic motivation dimension of the SMQ showed difference in favor of males, yet there was no difference by gender in the other variables. When the relationships between the variables were examined, they were ranging from low to moderate levels. Yet, no significant relationship was identified between continuing motivation for science learning and attitudes towards using the steps of the scientific process. In predicting the academic achievement of the participants, it was observed that the variables of SPS, self-efficacy and anxiety dimensions of the SMQ, and the attitude towards using the steps of the scientific process contributed, respectively, to the regression equation at a significant level. Finally, in explaining SPS, the variables including the self-efficacy and anxiety dimensions of the SMQ and the continuing motivation for science learning contributed, respectively, to the regression model at a significant level.