Attitudes towards Science among Primary Students in Schools with Bilingual Education Programme

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30827/relieve.v31i1.31633

Keywords:

Attitudes, science, bilingual education, primary students, student evaluation

Abstract

The acquisition of scientific competence from the early stages is necessary to achieve citizen literacy. Since the attitudinal component is part of the scientific competence, we investigate the attitudes towards science in sixth grade students at Primary Schools with the British Council Bilingual Educational Programme, as well as to determine which factors influence the development of these attitudes. The study, in which 2,396 students from 52 schools participated, has followed a descriptive and inferential research methodology with a quantitative approach. It has been carried out with the survey technique through a pre-existing, validated and reliable questionnaire to evaluate students' attitudes towards science. The variables analyzed were gender, classroom size and dedication of family members. The analysis revealed that attitudes toward science are a construct made up of three factors: adoption of scientific attitudes, attitudes toward scientists, and preference toward science. The results allow us to affirm that attitudes towards science of pupils at Primary Schools with the British Council Bilingual Educational Programme are adequate and close to excellence. There are also more favorable in girls than in boys, in those students who have family members dedicated to science and in smaller schools with fewer classrooms.

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Author Biographies

María Victoria Vega Agapito, Faculty of Education of Segovia, University of Valladolid

PhD in Pharmacy from the University of Salamanca, currently pursuing a second doctoral thesis within the Doctorate in Transdisciplinary Research in Education at the University of Valladolid, titled "Influence of Bilingual Education on the Acquisition of Scientific and Technological Competence in Primary Education." She is currently a Tenured Lecturer in the Area of Didactics of Experimental Sciences, at the Faculty of Education in Segovia, University of Valladolid. She is part of the research team for the project “+Science with Consequence” (Reference: FCT-23-19403). Her recent work has focused on the study of Natural Sciences teaching-learning process in the context of bilingual education. She has undertaken research stays at the University of Burgos (Spain), Case Western Reserve University of Cleveland (USA), and Université Aix-Marseille II (France). She has 16 publications in JIF-indexed journals, 316 citations on her Scopus profile, and an H-index of 10.

Jaime Delgado-Iglesias, Faculty of Education and Social Work of Valladolid, University of Valladolid

Doctor of Science and professor in the area of Didactics of Experimental Sciences at the Faculty of Education and Social Work of the University of Valladolid. He develops his research activity mainly in the difficulties of teaching Experimental Sciences related to the training of teachers in Early Childhood Education, Primary Education and Secondary Education, inquiry as a didactic methodology in pre-university teaching and STEM training of teachers in training. Participates in projects on bilingual proposals for teaching Science in Primary Education and in teachers in training. It also works on the cataloging and dissemination of Geological Heritage through dissemination and research for the didactic use of the environment related to experimental sciences. He has completed stays in Lisbon (Portugal), Bragança (Portugal) and Buenos Aires related to research in science teaching.

Natalia Barranco-Izquierdo, Faculty of Education and Social Work of Valladolid, University of Valladolid

She has a doctorate in Didactics of Language and Literature, specializing in foreign languages. She teaches at the Faculty of Education and Social Work at the University of Valladolid. Her teaching and research focus on English as a foreign language, both in linguistic and non-linguistic disciplines, as well as mediation in the classroom. She has published numerous academic articles and contributed to collective works on topics such as bilingual education, the inclusion of immigrant students, and linguistic mediation. Natalia participates in European research projects related to foreign language teaching.

 

Francisco Javier Sanz-Trigueros, Faculty of Education and Social Work of Valladolid, University of Valladolid

PhD from the University of Valladolid. He works as an Associate Professor in the Department of Didactics of Language and Literature at the University of Valladolid (Spain). He teaches on the bachelor's degrees in education and on the Master's Degrees in Research and Teacher Training. His research focuses on the professional development of teachers dealing with bi/plurilingual and intercultural education. He has published several high-impact publications in specialised journals, being Assistant editor and reviewer in some of them. He has benefited from stays in Bristol, Portugal and Switzerland, and is a member of the Research Group ‘Professional Qualifications, Employability and Social Entrepreneurship’ at the University of Valladolid. He has recently collaborated in two studies commissioned by the British Council.

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2025-06-30

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Vega Agapito, M. V., Delgado-Iglesias, J., Barranco-Izquierdo, N., & Sanz-Trigueros, F. J. (2025). Attitudes towards Science among Primary Students in Schools with Bilingual Education Programme. RELIEVE – Electronic Journal of Educational Research and Evaluation, 31(1). https://doi.org/10.30827/relieve.v31i1.31633

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Vol. 31 No. 1 (2025): Revista RELIEVE

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Copyright (c) 2025 María Victoria Vega Agapito, Jaime Delgado-Iglesias, Natalia Barranco-Izquierdo, Francisco Javier Sanz-Trigueros

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