The Effects of Taking Elective Science Courses in High School on Studying Science at the University Level

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of taking elective science courses in high school on studying science at the university level. The research methods undertaken for this study included surveys of college students in science areas. For physics and biology major students, no significant differences in achievement in the basic courses at the university level were found between the groups that took only Science I courses and the group took Science I and II courses. For chemistry major students, achievement for the group that took Chemistry I and II courses was significantly higher in the basic courses, while no significant differences between the two groups was found in the advanced courses. The perceptions of college students regarding the effects of their science learning experience in high school on learning science at the university level were investigated. All the college students perceived that whether or not they took Science II courses in high school, it did not affect their learning in basic science courses in college. They also perceived that students were able to overcome difficulties by making extra effort even if they did not take Science II courses in high school.