Abstract

DURING MY TENURE IN THE PRESidential succession, members constantly told me of their concern for the way the public perceives chemistry and perhaps even more important, how students perceive chemistry. I have heard them say, "Students don't go into chemistry because it's hard; they would rather do something easy." Or, "Students don't become chemistry majors because there are no jobs in chemistry, and they can make more money in law or business." We all have anecdotes; but for the first time, I've seen a study that has helped me understand why students do go into the sciences. Robert H. Tai and coworkers at the University of Virginia tested whether eighth-grade students who saw themselves in a science-related career by age 30 actually obtained baccalaureate degrees in science at higher rates than those who did not want such a career ( Science 2006 , 312 , 1143). The hypothesis was tested for both life sciences and ...

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