Factors Influencing Vietnamese Students’ Science Literacy: A Structural Equation Model from PISA 2015 Data

Factors Influencing Vietnamese Students’ Science Literacy: A Structural Equation Model from PISA 2015 Data

Nguyen Thi Huong* huongnt@vnies.edu.vn The Vietnam National Institute of Educational Sciences (Vietnam)
Dang Xuan Cuong cuong.dx@vnies.edu.vn The Vietnam National Institute of Educational Sciences (Vietnam)
Summary: 
Prior research has demonstrated that different noncognitive factors influence students’ science literacy. The present research investigates the relationships among students’ perceptions of their science teachers, their non-cognitive outcomes (epistemological beliefs, science interests and usefulness of science) and the influence of these factors on students’ science literacy. The data includes 5,826 15-year-old students (52.2% male and 47.8% female) who participated in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) in 2015. The research revealed a meaningful pattern of complex relationships among non-cognitive factors and their influence on students’ science literacy, enhancing and clarifying previous research findings with both theoretical and practical significance. The results of confirmatory factor analysis show that all items in each non-cognitive outcome had reasonable factor loading, and the model had good fit indices [RMSEA = 0.037; CFI = 0.931: TLI = 0.923; SRMR = 0.032]. The results of structural equation modeling (SEM) show good fits, suggesting that students’ science interests directly influence their science literacy. Furthermore, students’ perceptions of their science teachers, epistemological beliefs and usefulness of science indirectly influence science literacy through their science interests. Evidence from PISA Vietnam 2015 data also shows the insignificant path of the usefulness of science to science literacy.
Keywords: 
SEM
science literacy
usefulness of science
epistemological beliefs
science interests
perceptions of science teachers.
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