THE EFFECT OF PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATION ON FEMALE PRESERVICE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS' ATTITUDES TOWARD VIEWING SCIENCE AS AN ENTERPRISE FOR BOTH SEXES
The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of persuasive communication on changing attitudes of female preservice elementary teachers toward viewing science as an enterprise for both sexes. The dependent variables were: (1) the females' attitude changes, in viewing science as an enterprise for both sexes, as measured by the Attitude Toward Science as an Enterprise for Both Sexes (ATSEBS) Scale, and (2) the persistency in attitude change, as measured by the ATSEBS Scale. The independent variable was the persuasive communication. The procedure involved 88 female preservice elementary school teachers that were randomly assigned within four regular class sections of a science education methods course (Teaching Elementary School Science) to one of two treatment groups (experimental or control). The two groups were administered the ATSEBS Scale to determine their initial attitudes. Three weeks later, the subjects were administered either the persuasive communication (Viewing Science as an Enterprise for Both Sexes) or the control communication (Sleep and Dreams). Immediately following treatment, all subjects were administered an appropriate eight-item recognition test and the ATSEBS Scale as a posttest. After another three weeks the subjects were administered the ATSEBS Scale as a delayed posttest. The results indicated the subjects from both groups obtained high attitude scores toward viewing science as an enterprise for both sexes. There was no significant difference in mean scores on the posttest between the experimental and control group after receiving a persuasive communication or a control communication. There was no significant difference in mean scores on the delayed posttest between the experimental group and the control group. There was also no significant difference between the experimental group's posttest and delayed-posttest mean scores. The study concluded that, contrary to findings reported in the literature, females do feel science is an enterprise for both sexes, where men and women can achieve on an equal basis.
