A Comparative Study of Scientific Attitudes between Chinese and Thai Sixth-Grade Students

Abstract

Scientific attitudes are an indispensable component of scientific literacy which support scientific culture, technological development, cross-cultural cooperation, and contributing to social civilization. Educational and cultural environments are critical factors shaping students' scientific attitudes, making cross-cultural comparative research essential for optimizing science education across contexts. This study compared the scientific attitudes of 1,601 sixth-grade students (age 11–12) from urban areas of China and Thailand using a validated 25-item five-point Likert scale, focusing on five dimensions: curiosity, openness, critical thinking, collaborative spirit, and rigor. Descriptive statistics and the non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test were used to examine cross-national differences. Results showed that Chinese students had a significantly higher total score of scientific attitudes than Thai students (China: M = 92.67; Thailand: M = 90.42, p < .05), though the effect size was small (r = .062). At the dimensional level: no significant difference was found in curiosity (p > .05); no significant difference was observed in critical thinking (p > .05); Chinese students scored significantly higher in openness (p < .05), collaborative spirit (p < .05) and rigor (p < .05). Chinese students outperformed Thai peers in active knowledge acquisition, openness, data rigor, teamwork, and bias avoidance while Thai students were stronger in verify information resources. Given the vital role of scientific attitudes in fostering future researchers and innovators, future cross cultural science education cooperation between China and Thailand should integrate the strengths of both countries for enhancing students' scientific attitudes and literacy to prepare them for scientific research and global cooperation.