17.2 Experimental Framework
Following this hypothesis we conducted a study whose purpose was to determine the
level of knowledge that high school students have about nanotechnologies and their
applications (Srinivas 2014). The instrument used in this study was a questionnaire
containing 12 items referring to various aspects regarding nanotechnologies and
some peculiar addressing the knowledge about magnetic materials applications.
17.2.1 Developing the Analysis Tool
The questionnaires used were focused on three main issues: magnetism, fluid state,
and nanotechnologies. Some questions wanted to determine the quantity and quality
of knowledge obtained in formal education in the classrooms, and others were built
to probe students’ interest on nanotechnologies and knowledge obtained during
informal education sequences. Through this study, we managed to determine the
level of knowledge and interest that high school students manifest toward the field of
nanotechnology (Sebastian and Gimenez 2016). Addressing a representative sample
of schools/pupils proved to be a difficult task for our educational research. To ensure
that the sample resembles as much as the population from which it was extracted,
this survey included both pupils of schools with high ranked results and those with
difficulties in improving scholars’ performances, both urban and rural areas and
representatives of both sexes. The questionnaires were applied between February
and March 2016 on a sample of 650 pupils from 7 high schools in the southern part
of Vaslui county, 4 from urban areas and 3 from rural areas.
17.2.2 The Questionnaire
Including too many questions could create a certain level of boredom among pupils,
while too few wouldn’t have gathered enough information. This being said, we
chose 12 questions that most of the respondents could answer. The sentences were
built using carefully chosen words, in order to keep them as short and as pointed as
one can be. Each question referred to a piece of the puzzle, some of the questions
were open format so that pupils could respond as they felt at that moment.
17.2.3 Centralizing Responses
The first two questions allow the readers (respondents) to familiarize with survey,
referring to simple aspects such as the usefulness of studying physics and identifying
216
O. V. Caroaie and O. F. Caltun
Following this hypothesis we conducted a study whose purpose was to determine the
level of knowledge that high school students have about nanotechnologies and their
applications (Srinivas 2014). The instrument used in this study was a questionnaire
containing 12 items referring to various aspects regarding nanotechnologies and
some peculiar addressing the knowledge about magnetic materials applications.
17.2.1 Developing the Analysis Tool
The questionnaires used were focused on three main issues: magnetism, fluid state,
and nanotechnologies. Some questions wanted to determine the quantity and quality
of knowledge obtained in formal education in the classrooms, and others were built
to probe students’ interest on nanotechnologies and knowledge obtained during
informal education sequences. Through this study, we managed to determine the
level of knowledge and interest that high school students manifest toward the field of
nanotechnology (Sebastian and Gimenez 2016). Addressing a representative sample
of schools/pupils proved to be a difficult task for our educational research. To ensure
that the sample resembles as much as the population from which it was extracted,
this survey included both pupils of schools with high ranked results and those with
difficulties in improving scholars’ performances, both urban and rural areas and
representatives of both sexes. The questionnaires were applied between February
and March 2016 on a sample of 650 pupils from 7 high schools in the southern part
of Vaslui county, 4 from urban areas and 3 from rural areas.
17.2.2 The Questionnaire
Including too many questions could create a certain level of boredom among pupils,
while too few wouldn’t have gathered enough information. This being said, we
chose 12 questions that most of the respondents could answer. The sentences were
built using carefully chosen words, in order to keep them as short and as pointed as
one can be. Each question referred to a piece of the puzzle, some of the questions
were open format so that pupils could respond as they felt at that moment.
17.2.3 Centralizing Responses
The first two questions allow the readers (respondents) to familiarize with survey,
referring to simple aspects such as the usefulness of studying physics and identifying
216
O. V. Caroaie and O. F. Caltun