A study comparing students\u27 attitudes toward school in 2000 and in 1979

The purpose of this study was to compare students\u27 attitudes toward school in grade 4 and grade 10 in 1979 and 2000. The researcher analyzed the data gathered from the surveys of 47 students in grade 4 and 47 students in grade 10. The students surveyed attended a private elementary school (grade 4) and a public high school (grade 10), both located in southern New Jersey. The instrument used, the Student Sentiment Index, was analyzed by means of independent t-tests. The results of the 2000 implementation of the survey were then compared to the 1979 administration of the same survey. Results indicated students in grade 4 in 2000 have become significantly more positive toward school than students in grade 4 in 1979. Students in grade 10, however, were found not to have made any significant changes in attitude toward school. The researcher also noted that students in grade 4 and students in grade 10 in the year 2000 yielded significantly different survey results; students in grade 4 portrayed a more positive attitude toward school than students in grade 10. On the other hand, in 1979, there were no significant differences between students in grade 4 and students in grade 10