Evaluating the Affective Dimension in Chemistry Education - Affective Dimensions in Chemistry Education - page 39

- Without the industrial chemical reduction of atmospheric nitrogen, starvation
would be rampant in third-world countries.
- The danger of asbestos that is used for tiles and insulation in buildings is
insufficient to warrant the high cost of its removal.
- Fossil hydrocarbons are too valuable as a source of recyclable plastic to be
burned for fuel.
- The chemical industry took responsible action when confronted with evidence
that the ozone layer was being depleted by fluorocarbons.
- Taking anabolic steroids for body building is in principle no different from
administering growth hormones to persons with inherited dwarfism (see
White, Brown, & Johnstone, 2005 , p. 1572).

3. Determine the Scale of the Instrument

The scales that are often used in the affective instrument are the Likert scale,
Thurstone scale, and the semantic differential. Likert scales are one of the most
commonly used scales in social science research . The scale is named after its
creator, psychologist Rensis Likert. On a survey that uses a questionnaire, the
Likert scale typically has the following format: “Strongly agree,” “Agree,” “Nei-
ther agree nor disagree,” “Disagree,” and “Strongly disagree.” An example of
Likert scales for motivation in learning chemistry is shown in Table 2 .
The Thurstone scale is made up of statements about a particular issue. Each
statement has a numerical value indicating the respondent

s attitude about the issue,
either favorable or unfavorable. People indicate with which of the statements they
agree on an 11-point response format (1 very negative to 11 very positive). The
example of a Thurstone scale for self-concept in chemistry is shown in Table 3 .
The semantic differential provides information on differences (“differential”) in
word usage (“semantics”) in subjects. A learner (or respondent) is presented a sheet
of paper with a single word or term at the top of the page. Below this word are a
number of adjectival pairs, separated by seven blanks. The learner checks the cell
which fits with what he/she feels about the word at the top of the page. For example,
the meanings associated with the term “working with other students in a group”
might be formatted as follows (Table 4 ).

'

4. Determine the Scoring Guidelines

The scoring system used depends on the scale of measurement. When using the
Thurstone scale, the highest score for each response is 11 and the lowest score is
1 when the statement is a positive statement. Similarly, for instruments using a
semantic differential scale, the highest score for each response is 7 and the lowest
score is 1. For the Likert scale, the score given for each response depends on
whether the statement is positive or negative. The person who “strongly agrees”