Abstract

TROITINHO, Maria da Conceição Ribeiro  and  MAXIMINO, Caio. Translation and validation of the Science Anxiety Scale. Rev. psicopedag. [online]. 2024, vol.41, n.125, pp.277-288.  Epub Sep 13, 2024. ISSN 0103-8486.  https://doi.org/10.51207/2179-4057.20240022.

The term “Science Anxiety” reflects a negative attitude and aversion toward scientific concepts, scientists, and science-related activities. In Brazil, there are no instruments to assess this construct. We present a translation of the Science Anxiety Questionnaire created by Czerniak and Chiarelott (1984), as well as its content and face validation, reliability, and item evaluation by Rasch analysis. The resulting Science Anxiety Scale features 32 Likert-type items, with good reliability (α=0.9), and three factors. Rasch analysis suggests that items in factor 1 (which involves testing situations and direct application of scientific concepts and principles in a school context) are easier and have higher mean scores than items in factors 3 (which involves performance in front of other people when performing science-related activities) and 2 (which involves general application of scientific principles in everyday life). The proposed Science Anxiety Scale represents an easily applicable and potentially useful instrument for research on this phenomenon in science education.

Keywords : Science Anxiety Scale; Psychometrics; Learning Difficulties; Instruments and Research Methods in Science Teaching; Educational Psychology.

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