HKIER

Abstract

A 14-step process was used as a multilevel screening mechanism in developing a Likert-type scale that measures the attitudes of Hong Kong secondary school teachers towards the theory of evolution. The scheme has four phases. The first phase includes the stratification of the attitude object, the collection of statements from the literature, the improvement of wordings via Edward's criteria, plus an expert judgement and a pilot study. In the second phase, the emotional intensity of each item and the homogeneity of the scale are examined. The scale is content validated in the third phase using both Ist order and 2nd order factor analysis. In the last phase, construct validity is checked using known groups and logical predictions of other theoretical variables. The following results are obtained: (1) a 15-item Likert attitude scale on evolution with the following characteristics (a) coefficient Alpha 0.89, (b) range of corrected item-total correlations from 0.41 to 0.76, (c) range of inter-item correlations from 0.10 to 0.66, (d) an ANOVA F ratio 99.5 (p < 0.0001) among groups of different religious zealousness and (e) unidimensional in 2nd order factor analysis. (2) a 12-item scale of similar nature with the additional attribute of a stable factor structure.

摘要

N.A.