Abstract:

The paper describes research results regarding the attitudes, prejudices and misconceptions of over 100 Polish high school students in the field of radioactivity. The study was conducted using an almost seventy-item survey containing the following questions: open-ended, multiple choice, true-false and using a Likert scale. The preparation of the tool is described in the article “Facts And Myths About Radiation - Based On The Statements Of High School Students” written by Nodzyńska-Moroń, Chrzanowski and Siporska (2023) [1].

The article concerns selected issues related to ionizing radiation. 10 questions were selected, including four open:
1. Write 5 words that you associate with the term: radioactivity.
2. What type of radiation were you exposed to today?
3. Write what the sign means: (radiation food preservation)
4. Write what the sign means: (radioactive radiation):
and six closed-edned (six-point scale from very likely to unlikely)
5. How do you feel when you see the sign: (radioactive radiation)?
6. How far from the nuclear power plant would you be able to live permanently?
7. After the Fukushima power plant failure, two-headed animals were born. (Likert scale)
8. Nuclear power plant workers should constantly take Lugol's iodine to protect themselves from radiation. (Likert scale)
9. Due to the situation in Ukraine, we should take potassium iodide tablets every week as a preventive measure (Likert scale).
10. Ionizing radiation is used to sterilize dried herbal spices. (Likert scale)

The paper concerns selected issues related to The International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale - INES Scale (Fukushima, Chernobyl), food irradiation and the protection of the population against the effects of ionizing radiation related to military operations.

About 30% of the students recognized the Radura symbol, and about 80% indicated the correct meaning of the ionizing radiation pictogram, featuring three curved blades emanating from a central point. About 20% of students are aware that they are in contact with ionizing radiation every day. Correlations between students' answers to questions: 5 and 6 to 10 were calculated and recognized as weak ones.

References:
[1] Facts and myths about radiation - based on the statements of high school students, M. Nodzyńska-Moroń, M. Chrzanowski, A. Siporska, November 2023, DOI: 10.21125/iceri.2023.0652, Conference: 16th annual International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation

Keywords:

Radiation, attitudes, students, ISCED3, myths.