Attitudes Toward Chemistry Laboratory: A Survey of Indonesian Undergraduate Students

Abstract

This study seeks to examine and compare the attitudes of students towards chemistry laboratory activities, while also investigating the impact of both grade levels and gender on these attitudes. A total of 226 undergraduate chemistry students from a public university in Indonesia participated in the study, selected through convenience sampling. The researchers developed the Attitudes toward Chemistry Laboratory Scale (ACLS) to collect the necessary data. Statistical analyses including ANOVA, t-tests, and descriptive statistics were conducted. The results indicated that: (i) students have positive attitudes toward chemistry laboratory, (ii) significant gaps exist when students’ scores on attitudes are linked with gender in favor of male students, and grade levels in favor of students in the junior level, and (iii) no significant interaction effect between gender and grade levels was observed, even though separately, gender mainly effects on students’ attitudes. The results contribute significantly to the effectiveness of the chemistry learning process at the tertiary level. By knowing the students’ initial attitudes, lecturers are expected to apply various teaching methods that can develop students’ positive attitudes and performance to a satisfactory level.