This study explored two under-researched areas on students' attitudes towards science, that is, the structural models representing these attitudes and the role played by school bands in moderating the gender differences in such attitudes. The participants were 360 ninth graders in Hong Kong from 3 school bands. The structural equation modelling method was adopted to compare four hypothetical models for students' attitudes towards science. Results reflect that (i) the data supported the three-factor structure of the behavioural domain of students' attitudes towards science; (ii) the four lower level dimensions of the attitudes towards science (i.e. value of science to society, self-concept in science, anxiety towards science and enjoyment of science) could be further integrated into broader categories; (iii) male students demonstrated significantly more positive attitudes towards science in five dimensions (i.e. self-concept in science, enjoyment in science, learning science in and outside the classroom and future participation) and (iv) school bands played a prominent moderating role in gender differences in students' attitudes towards science. Implications for studying and developing students' attitudes towards science are discussed in the paper.

According to self-regulated learning theory, the activities of studying and using learning strategies, which reflect self-regulated learning, promote academic achievement. In contrast, a student's participation in other activities may not produce positive effects. In the present study, structural equation modeling was used to test these hypotheses in a sample of 593 full-time, Ist-year undergraduates in Hong Kong. The results indicated that studying and using elaborative learning strategy were positively related to the student's self-assessed learning. Studying was also related positively to the expected grade point average. These results provide some support for self-regulated learning theory. Relationships between other activities and self-assessed learning were negative and nonsignificant; relationships between other activities and expected GPA were mixed.
[Copyright of Journal of Genetic Psychology is the property of Psychology Press . Full article may be available at the publisher's website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00221329809596142 ]