Test of Science Related Attitudes (TOSRA)
Assesses science-related attitudes along seven dimensions: social implications of science, normality of scientists, attitude toward scientific inquiry, adoption of scientific attitudes, enjoyment of science lessons, leisure interest in science, & career interest in science.
Average Review: 
(4.0)
by Katherine Heck,
Specialist, UC Davis,
The TOSRA has been validated and used widely with youth in junior high and high school age (7th grade and above) and has been cross-validated in both Australia and the United States. The survey focuses on a range of aspects of attitudes toward science. TOSRA uses a 5-point Likert response scale (strongly agree, agree, uncertain, disagree, strongly disagree) which most respondents would likely be familiar with.
One factor users may wish to consider when deciding whether to use the TOSRA is its length. With 70 items, TOSRA in full may be excessive for informal science evaluations. However, TOSRA also has been subdivided into component subscales which each measure a different aspect of science attitudes and interests. These subscales, which each have ten items, may be much more useable for a briefer evaluation. The subscales have been validated separately.
These subscales include:
* Social Implications of Science
* Normality of scientists
(The above two measure attitudes toward science and scientists.)
* Attitude to Scientific Inquiry
(Measuring acceptance of scientific inquiry as a way of thought.)
* Adoption of Scientific Attitudes
* Enjoyment of Science Lessons
(More appropriate for in school types of evaluations, or teacher specific evaluations.)
* Leisure Interest in Science
(Interest in science related activities apart from school)
* Career Interest in Science
(For long term career plans around science)
One or more of these separate subscales may be useful for evaluators as they may relate more closely to a particular informal science project.
