Beliefs and attitudes toward physics and their relationship to academic performance
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17318096Keywords:
attitude toward physics, beliefs about physics, academic performanceAbstract
Attitudes and beliefs toward physics are influenced by individual, educational, and social factors that directly affect academic performance. The present study aimed to analyze the relationship between beliefs and attitudes toward physics and academic performance in General Unified Baccalaureate (BGU) students. A quantitative approach was used with a non-experimental, cross-sectional, correlational design in a sample of 301 students. The instrument was validated by seven experts in physics teaching, a pilot test was conducted, and its reliability was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha coefficient. For the analysis of the variables, Spearman's correlation coefficient was calculated between the dimensions evaluated and academic performance, and Student's t-tests were applied to compare differences in means. The results revealed positive and statistically significant correlations between academic performance in physics and dimensions such as interest in the subject, self-efficacy, attitude toward learning physics, perception of the teacher, and educational context. Likewise, it was observed that female students obtained, on average, higher academic performance than male students, and that the gender variable showed a significant association with performance only in the female group. In conclusion, the study confirms that maintaining positive beliefs and attitudes toward physics is associated with better academic performance in this subject, highlighting the importance of strengthening pedagogical strategies aimed at developing favorable perceptions of science in the school context.
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