EXPLORING SCIENTIFIC TEMPERAMENT AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS: A GENDER BASED STUDY

Scientific temperament refers to an individual’s ability to use reason, think logically, question ideas and evaluate information based on scientific principles. For the present study the investigator selected a sample of 80 secondary school students (40 male and 40 female) using random sampling method. The scientific temper scale developed by Prof. N.A. Nadeem and Showkat Rashid Wani was administered. The data was analyzed using percentage statistics, mean, standard deviation, and t-test. It was found that male and female secondary school students vary significantly in terms of scientific temper at a significance level of 0.01. Female secondary school students exhibited a higher level of scientific temper than male secondary school students. Among secondary school students (both male and female), the majority exhibited higher levels of scientific temper and none were found to have poor scientific temper. Keywords: Scientific Temper, Gender, Secondary School Students, Curiosity, Open-mindedness, Objectivity, Rationality and Aversion to superstition