Scientific perspective of College Students in relation to their Gender, Stream, Locality

Abstract : The present era is the era of science and technology, where the development of society is based on a scientific outlook and logical thinking. A scientific attitude not only develops a person's rational capacity but also plays an important role in decision-making, problem-solving, innovation, and social progress. The aim of the present study is to examine the scientific attitude of college students, specifically to compare and analyze it in terms of their gender, faculty/stream (Arts, Science, Commerce), and locality (Urban/Rural). The main objective of the study is to find out whether there are significant differences in students' scientific attitudes based on these three variables. The research is based on the descriptive survey method. The selected sample for the study included boys and girls, students from urban and rural areas, and students associated with various faculties from different colleges. To measure scientific attitude, a standardized Scientific Attitude Scale was used, which included dimensions such as rationality, curiosity, objectivity, open-minded thinking, and evidence-based decision-making. Preliminary analysis indicates that the level of scientific attitude is relatively higher among students of the science faculty, as their academic background involves greater use of experimental learning and the scientific method. In contrast, this level is found to be moderate in arts faculty students and relatively low in commerce faculty students. In terms of gender, some studies suggest that girls exhibit higher curiosity and observation skills, whereas boys tend to have higher levels of analytical thinking; however, whether the difference between the two is statistically significant in the present study will be clear after analysis. In terms of locality, due to greater availability of scientific activities, resources, and technological environments, urban students are likely to have a relatively higher scientific outlook compared to rural students. Keywords : Gender, Stream, Locality.