ATTITUDE TOWARD SCIENCE AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH ACADEMIC OUTCOMES OF GRADE 9 LEARNERS OF TABON M. ESTRELLA NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL, BISLIG CITY DIVISION: A DESCRIPTIVE-CORRELATIONAL STUDY

Education

This study examined the attitude toward science and its relationship with academic outcomes among Grade 9 learners of Tabon M. Estrella National High School, Bislig City Division, for School Year 2025-2026. Grounded in the Theory of Planned Behavior, Expectancy-Value Theory, and the affective domain framework of Bloom and Krathwohl, the study used a quantitative descriptive-correlational design. The respondents were 244 Grade 9 learners selected through total enumeration. Attitude data were gathered through an adapted version of Fraser's Test of Science-Related Attitudes (TOSRA), while academic outcomes were based on official first-quarter science grades. Mean, standard deviation, frequency, percentage, and Spearman rho were used in the analysis. Findings showed a very high overall attitude toward science (M = 3.45). Six of the seven attitude dimensions were rated very high, while Leisure Interest in Science was rated high (M = 3.22). Academic outcomes were generally strong: 49.2% of the learners were Outstanding, 25.4% were Very Satisfactory, 14.3% were Satisfactory, 8.6% were Fairly Satisfactory, and 2.5% did not meet expectations. Overall attitude toward science was moderately, positively, and significantly related to first-quarter science grade category (rho = .34, p < .001). The strongest associations were found for Enjoyment of Science Lessons (rho = .36) and Career Interest in Science (rho = .32), followed by Social Implications of Science (rho = .30) and Attitude Toward Scientific Inquiry (rho = .27). The findings suggest that students' classroom enjoyment, perceived relevance of science, and future orientation in science are meaningfully associated with better academic outcomes. The study recommends inquiry-rich teaching, relevance-oriented classroom practices, and school-based science enrichment programs that strengthen both affective engagement and academic performance.

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