THE LEVEL OF SCIENTIFIC ATTITUDE/SUPERSTITION AMONG BACHELOR OF SCIENCE EDUCATION STUDENTS: IMPLICATION FOR SCIENCE EDUCATION IN UGANDA

The Uganda government today emphasizes science and technology studies at all levels. All students in O-level study sciences and A-level students have either to do computer studies or mathematics if they do not offer a science combination. Hence it is expected that the learners who go through the education system in Uganda are expected to have acquired, sufficient level of scientific attitude/scientific literacy. Despite this science policy, our society still holds many superstitious beliefs, like sacrificing children to acquire wealth and people claiming to make/stop rain. Since no country can be better than its education system, and no education system is better than its teachers, it was paramount to investigate whether the pre-service science teachers are scientifically literate, since they are the back-bone of the country’s science education..
The main purpose of the study was to investigate the level of scientific attitude/ superstition among bachelor of science education students in Busitema university .Busitema university was selected mainly because it train only science teachers who offer; chemistry Biology, Physics, Mathematics and computer studies.

The objectives of the study were:
(i) To determine the level of superstition among the BSc/Education students in Busitema university
(ii) Determine the level of scientific attitude among the BSc/Education students by using their level of superstition.
(iii) Compare the level of scientific attitude between finalist (3rd year) and” freshers” (before their lectures in university)
(iv) Examine the relationship between gender /religious/ tribe, and the level of superstition/scientific attitude.

A case study / survey research design was used involving quantitative research strategy, the instrument of data collection was questionnaires containing 25 superstitious statements with option of agree / disagree. It was administered to 186 students (25 female and 161 male) of the four levels [fresher, first, second & third year students, (after final second semester exams] in August 2012 and May 2012 respectively. It was expected that all students will disagree with all the statement due their level of scientific literacy
Data was analyzed, using descriptive methods such as percentage paragraph and frequencies by MS-excel program. The study found out that; the level of scientific attitude among students was too low . There was a slight difference between final year BSc education students (after final exams) and fresher students (before lectures in university.
No relationship was observed between gender/religion/tribe and the level of scientific attitudes among student.

The conclusion was that most pre-service science teachers believe in superstition.
This has implication for successful implementation of science education in Uganda. The recommendations were that; there is need to reform the science curriculum at all levels (Primary, secondary and university) to address the methods and attitude of science during the science lesson, other than emphasizing scientific facts which students easily forget after their exams. Also, more research needs to be conducted to determine the level of scientific attitude among the In-service Science teachers in primary, secondary and Colleges, so that in service courses are organized to improve their scientific literacy.