Physical Science Career Research Articles

The Relationship of STEM Attitudes and Career Interest

This study examines the relationships between attitudes toward all core STEM subjects and interest in STEM careers among 4th through 12th grade US students through the administration of the Student Attitudes toward STEM (S-STEM) Survey to over 15,000 public school students. The research developed a model based on expectancy-value theory that incorporates key demographic factors of age, gender, and race/ethnicity. Our findings reinforce prior research that students across key demographic factors perceive biological/clinical and physical science career paths differently, resulting in two career clusters. Of interest, the relationship of mathematics attitudes to career interest varied by STEM career cluster. Findings were also supportive of the conclusion that students’ attitudes towards STEM careers are not static over their primary and secondary grades, stabilizing and leveling during their secondary years. Gender showed significantly different interest levels for the two career clusters: males higher for physical sciences and females higher for biological/clinical sciences. Racial/ethnic disparity in STEM career interests can be seen more readily in physical sciences and engineering than in the biological sciences. Overall, our work reinforces findings that students, as young as elementary grades, are forming attitudinal associations between their academic and life experience and future STEM careers.

Introductory geosciences at the two-year college: Factors that influence student transfer intent with geoscience degree aspirations

ABSTRACTThe geosciences continue to lag behind the other sciences in both diversity and degree completion rates of students transferring from two-year colleges (2YCs). Critical to strengthening the transfer student pipeline is the need to identify who takes introductory geosciences courses at the 2YC level and what factors contribute to increased 2YC student transfer intent for those interested in pursuing geoscience degrees. This study uses data collected from 708 student respondents to a pretransfer study survey administered in introductory geoscience courses at 26 unique 2YCs to gain an understanding of the influence that background characteristics, academic engagement experiences (e.g. faculty–student interaction, undergraduate research experiences, and field-based educational experiences), and academic advisor engagement have on 2YC geoscience student transfer intent. Sequential multiple regression findings revealed a number of factors that predict higher geoscience transfer intent, including age, high school math preparation, having taken an Earth science course in high school, the number of science courses taken at the 2YC, student–faculty interaction, and faculty and academic advisors discussing physical science careers. The results also demonstrated that field-based educational experiences have a significant role in increasing student intent to transfer pursuing geoscience degrees. Findings presented point to the need to develop practices focused on transfer student capital acquisition and supports the proposition that 2YCs can serve as an intervention point to broaden participation in the geosciences.

Women in Physics

Education Women continue to be underrepresented in physical science classes and careers. Hazari et al. tested five hypotheses regarding what factors might affect women's interest: having a single-sex class, having a female teacher, having a female scientist guest speaker, discussing the work of female scientists, and discussing the underrepresentation of women in physics. Based on data from the Persistence Research in Science and Engineering project, which surveyed a sample of over 7000 U.S. college students, individuals were identified as being part of the treatment or control groups by virtue of having experienced, or not experienced, each of the five hypotheses. Next, students were matched so that the females in both treatment and control groups had equal prior physical science career interest, and students were asked to rate the likelihood that they would choose a career in physical sciences. Women who were exposed to discussions about the underrepresentation of women in the physical sciences were more likely to choose a career in physics than those who were not. Such student-centered discussions afford more opportunities for female students to picture themselves as physical scientists. On the other hand, the lack of support for the other hypotheses invalidates the common belief that female role modeling is necessary for attracting women. Phys. Rev. ST Phys. Educ. Res. 9 , 020115 (2013).

Factors that affect the physical science career interest of female students: Testing five common hypotheses

There are many hypotheses regarding factors that may encourage female students to pursue careers in the physical sciences. Using multivariate matching methods on national data drawn from the Persistence Research in Science and Engineering (PRiSE) project ($n=7505$), we test the following five commonly held beliefs regarding what factors might impact females' physical science career interest: (i) having a single-sex physics class, (ii) having a female physics teacher, (iii) having female scientist guest speakers in physics class, (iv) discussing the work of female scientists in physics class, and (v) discussing the underrepresentation of women in physics class. The effect of these experiences on physical science career interest is compared for female students who are matched on several factors, including prior science interests, prior mathematics interests, grades in science, grades in mathematics, and years of enrollment in high school physics. No significant effects are found for single-sex classes, female teachers, female scientist guest speakers, and discussing the work of female scientists. However, discussions about women's underrepresentation have a significant positive effect.

Newly established AGU awards and lecture

The Sulzman Award for Excellence in Education and Mentoring (Biogeosciences section) recognizes AGU members who have sustained an active research career in a field related to biogeosciences while excelling as teachers and serving as role models for the next generation of female scientists. This new award acknowledges the importance of female mentors in enhancing gender balance in physical science career paths. The award is being endowed to honor Elizabeth Sulzman, an isotope biogeochemist and soil scientist, whose enthusiasm for teaching awed many undergraduates at Oregon State University. Current plans are to present the first Sulzman award at the 2013 Fall Meeting. Applicants must be women who are within 15 years of receiving their Ph.D., and nomination packages should include a cover letter, resumé, and three letters of recommendation. As they become available, more details will be posted on the Biogeosciences section Web site (http://www.agu.org/sections/biogeo/). The award will provide up to $1000 to one successful nominee each year, although the exact monetary amount is yet to be determined. AGU is currently accepting donations to endow this award; contact Victoria Thompson (vthompson@agu.org) to get involved.

Views on the philosophy of science among undergraduate science students and their tutors at the University of Papua New Guinea: origins, progression, enculturation and destinations

Using a schedule originated by Nott and Wellington to explore science teachers’ views on the philosophy of science, data were gathered at the University of Papua New Guinea. Similarities in response were established for successive first year intakes of science undergraduates (1999–2000). Students with experience in national high schools or Australian high schools responded more positively than their provincial secondary school trained peers to items indicating that the findings of scientific enquiry were universally true. A cross‐sectional analysis showed the undergraduates in the third and fourth years to be more process orientated than the first or second years. Both the first and second years were different in their views compared with their tutors in the relativism–positivism scale, where they were more positivist, the contextualism–decontextualism scale, where they were less decontextualist, and the process–content scale where they were considerably less process orientated. Those with a preferred career destination of medicine were slightly more decontextualist in outlook while being marginally realist, those with a preferred physical science career being very weakly instrumentalist. The results can be interpreted in terms of respondents’ experiences in secondary schooling and on programmes at the University of Papua New Guinea.

Gender and Science Learning Early in High School: Subject Matter and Laboratory Experiences

This study used a large and nationally representative, longitudinal database, NELS:88, to identify important factors related to gender differences in 10th-grade science performance. It built on an earlier study focusing on 8th-grade science performance, wherein gender differences were found to be related to (a) subject matter (life versus physical science), (b) student ability level, and (c) frequency of hands-on lab opportunities. The moderate unadjusted advantage for 8th-grade boys on the physical science test widened by the 10th grade. The gender differences were smaller on the life science test and favored males among students of average and above-average ability and females among the less able students. Hands-on lab activities—relatively infrequent in high school science classes—continued to be related to all students’ performance, but especially to girls’. These findings suggest the importance of the active involvement of students in the science classroom as a means to promote gender equity. Implications for the underrepresentation of women in physical science careers are discussed.

Gender differences in middle grade science achievement: Subject domain, ability level, and course emphasis

This study used base-year data from a large and nationally representative data base (NELS:88) to identify some important explanatory factors for gender differences in science performance. Middle school science classes were selected for study because students have little choice over their coursework at this level. By separating a standardized test of general science achievement into its life science and physical science domains, we documented a large advantage for boys on the subtest of physical science and a modest advantage for girls in life science. Importantly, in physical science, the disadvantage for girls is more pronounced for the most able students. Explanations for these gender difference focus on laboratory experience. Only about 25% of eighth graders' science classes provide laboratory experiences at least weekly, and these experiences are more common in stand-alone middle schools enrolling more affluent students. Such laboratory experiences are especially beneficial for girls' achievement in physical science, but not boys'. We conclude that these results argue for increasing experiential and hands-on learning in middle school science classes—particularly in the physical sciences—as a means to promote gender equity in science achievement at this important educational level. The study has implications for the underrepresentation of women in physical science careers. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.