Science-related Careers Research Articles

Science career expectation and science-related motivation: a latent profile analysis using PISA 2015 data

ABSTRACT In response to growing concerns about students’ low aspiration for science-related careers, more understanding on how student science motivation is related to science career aspiration is needed. This study utilised a person-centred approach to investigating the association between students’ science-related motivation profiles and their science career expectation using the 2015 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) data set. Analysing responses from 9841 15-year-old students in China through Latent Profile Analysis (LPA), the study found that: (1) five distinct students’ motivation profiles were identified based on science-related motivation factors; (2) significant variations were observed in science career expectations across students’ motivation profiles, and different profiles predicted science career expectations differently; and (3) the perceived instructional practices and science learning engagement, social and economic status, and students’ gender significantly predicted students’ motivation profiles differently. These research findings contribute to new insight on the non-linear relationships between science-related motivation and science career expectation, and how student motivation profiles are impacted by demographic and context factors such as instructional practices, learning engagement, students’ social and economic status, and gender.

An Analysis of the Definitions and Components of Science Career Aptitude in Science Education

The most fundamental consideration when student’s selecting a science-related career is aptitude for science. Therefore, this study analyzed the definitions and components of each concept presented in literature related to science, career, and aptitude. Then, using the 2022 revised science curriculum and the PISA 2025 science framework, we derived the definitions and components of science career aptitude. According to the analysis results, science means both understanding and generating knowledge about natural phenomena. And, a career is defined as both personal life and work. In addition, we concluded that aptitude is the potential to acquire and develop specific abilities in an appropriate environment. Therefore, science career aptitude can be described as the potential to acquire and develop the ability to understand and generate knowledge about natural phenomena in one’s life and work. In this view, science career aptitude in science education can be defined as the cognitive and noncognitive potential to acquire and develop the ability to understand and generate scientific knowledge in life and work. The results of this study may be contributed to provide a criteria for the diagnosis and evaluation of science career aptitude.

The U.S. Landscape of Elementary Teachers’ Science Course Requirements

ABSTRACT One of the United States’ higher education system’s most important tasks is properly preparing elementary teachers to teach science. Teachers’ ability to use their science subject matter knowledge (SMK) to effectively develop pedagogical approaches can significantly contribute to their students’ engagement in science and motivation to pursue science-related careers. To date, several studies examine the influences of subject matter knowledge on teachers’ pedagogical strategies. Although there are still contradictions regarding those influences, providing teachers with adequate preparation in science SMK and science pedagogical knowledge is crucial. To understand how elementary teachers are currently prepared in science SMK, this study examines degree requirements across 223 colleges and universities in the U.S. to determine the number and type of general education science content courses required for candidates to complete their elementary education degrees. Our findings indicated that while many U.S. universities’ undergraduate general education science course requirements have increased in terms of required numbers of science credit hours since 2009, the related pedagogical science content knowledge and science content knowledge of pre-service elementary teachers has not also increased. Thus, we can surmise that increasing the required quantity of general education science courses does not correlate to increased science content knowledge, or increased science teaching confidence or competence, at least among undergraduate per-service elementary teachers.

A large-scale study on the prevalence of math anxiety in Qatar.

Math anxiety (MA) is a worldwide appearing academic anxiety that can affect student mental health and deter students from math and science-related career choices. Using the Arabic version of the Modified-Abbreviated Math Anxiety Scale (m-AMAS), the prevalence of MA was investigated in a very large sample of students (N = 10093) from grades 7 to 12 in Qatar. The results showed a better fit to the original two-factor model of the m-AMAS (learning MA and Evaluation MA) than to a single-factor solution. This two-factor model was also confirmed in each grade. Notably, the distribution of MA scores was right-skewed, especially for learning MA. Using the inter-quartiles ranges, norms for MA were provided: A score of ≤16 indicates low MA whereas a score of ≥30 identifies high MA. Previous studies conducted in Western countries defined high math-anxious students as those who score above the 90th percentile corresponding to a score of 30 on the m-AMAS. Using this cut-off criterion, the current study found that one-fifth of students in Qatar were highly math-anxious, with a higher proportion of females than males. We also calculated the percentage of participants selecting each response category for each questionnaire item. Results showed that attending a long math class was the context that elicited the highest levels of learning MA. In contrast, having an unexpected math test was the situation that triggered the highest levels of evaluation MA. The prevalence of MA might vary across different cultures.

Preparing Career-ready Students by Building Effective Virtual Teamwork Skills

As the food industry becomes globally connected, it is essential to provide Food Science students with experience working in virtual teams before they enter the workforce. Working in teams virtually brings extra challenge due to a lack of face-to-face interactions. FSHN 230, Professional Issues in Food Science (asynchronously online), provided students the opportunity to practice virtual teamwork skills. Low, medium, and high dosage team projects allowed for experiential learning and practice in virtual teamwork. Team effectiveness (psychological safety, dependability, structure and clarity, meaning, and impact) was closely monitored using team members’ evaluations of the team at the middle and end of the semester. Students' perceptions of learning were assessed using a survey at the end of the instructional period. Across all teams, students were most likely to report experiencing psychological safety and dependability in their virtual teams and least likely to report experiencing the work as meaningful. Across all teams, students were most likely to perceive the virtual team project as assisting with learning about food science-related careers. As higher education continues to create real-world simulations to teach skills, such as virtual teamwork, more effort may be needed to help students connect classroom activities and career-ready skills to real-world expectations.

BUILDing an Early Advantage: An Examination of the Role of Strategic Interventions in Developing First-Year Undergraduate Students’ Science Identity

The federal government and a number of nonprofit, non-governmental agencies have invested heavily in programs designed to provide research opportunities, financial support, and mentorship to undergraduates in science-related fields. These efforts are aimed at supporting students' matriculation in science majors and into science-related careers. This study used a quasi-experimental design to examine whether college students who participate in a federally sponsored intervention program develop significantly stronger science identities in their first year of college compared to their peers who do not participate in the intervention. Results suggest intervention participants develop significantly stronger science identities compared to their counterparts in the control group, but these benefits are somewhat mitigated after controls for mentoring enter the model.

Thinking and Practicing Like a Scientist?

Abstract This study aimed to develop a valid and reliable instrument, the Mental Images of Scientists Questionnaire (MISQ), and use the instrument to examine Chinese students’ mental images of scientists’ characters across school levels, regions, living settings, and gender. The final version of the MISQ consisted of four constructs: scientists’ cognitive, affective, lifestyle, and job characters. The results showed that senior high school students gave higher scores for scientists’ cognitive character construct than junior high and elementary school students did. Students from eastern regions, which have a more highly developed economy, gave the highest scores on cognitive and affective character constructs of scientists. Students from western regions, which have a less developed economy, had a relatively negative impression of scientists. Students’ images of scientists’ affective, lifestyle, and job characters were positively correlated with their interests in pursuing scientific careers. Future research to explore the relationships between students’ mental images of scientists’ characters and students’ motivation to pursue science-related careers or to engage in scientific practices are recommended.

Girls’ participation in science education: structural limitations and sustainable alternatives

ABSTRACT Efforts to attract and retain women in science are increasing, yet girls and women are persistently underrepresented in science education worldwide, limiting their preparation for, access to, and opportunities in science-related careers as adults. Based on qualitative research conducted in six secondary schools in Tanzania and informed by UNESCO's Ecological Framework for Female Participation in Science, this study explored structural limitations and sustainable alternatives to girls’ participation in science education. The study identified a number of structural limitations, including the dominance of patriarchal ideologies about science, the lack of female science teachers, inadequate resources for science learning and heavy domestic workloads. Similarly, increasing the supply of teaching and learning resources, motivating female students to study science, and raising awareness among students, teachers, parents and community members of the importance of girls’ participation in science education were identified as key sustainable alternatives. Overall, interventions to address cultural and social norms related to gender stereotypes and gender equality in policies, legislation, media and teachers’ pedagogical practices are essential to promote girls’ participation in science education.

Students’ science learning experiences and career expectations: mediating effects of science-related attitudes and beliefs

ABSTRACT In response to growing concerns about adolescents’ low expectations for science-related careers, this study explores the mechanisms of the ternary associations among science learning experiences, science-related attitudes and beliefs, and science-related career expectations, involving a sample of 9841 15-year-old students from four Chinese provinces (Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Guangdong) who took part in the sixth cycle of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). The results of the path analysis reveal that (i) both formal and informal learning experiences had positive relationships with science-related attitudes and beliefs; (ii) enjoyment of science, science self-efficacy, science outcome expectations, and epistemological beliefs about science had positive effects on career expectations; (iii) inquiry-based learning experiences were negatively associated with career expectations, although the direct association was suppressed by enjoyment of science, science self-efficacy, and science outcome expectations; (iv) teacher-directed science learning experiences had a positive impact on career expectations, fully mediated by enjoyment of science, epistemological beliefs about science, and science outcome expectations; and (v) all four science-related attitudes and beliefs played full mediating roles in the relationship between informal science learning experiences and career expectations.

Developing middle school students’ understanding of machine learning in an African school

Researchers' efforts to build a knowledge base of how middle school students learn about machine learning (ML) is limited, particularly, considering the African context. Hence, we conducted an experimental classroom study (N = 32) within the context of extracurricular activities in a Nigerian middle school to discern how students engaged with ML activities. Furthermore, we explored whether participation in our intervention program elicit changes in students' ML comprehension, and perceptions. Using multiple qualitative data collection techniques including interviews, pre-post open-ended surveys and written assessments, we uncover evidence that indicated evolution of students’ ML understanding, ethical awareness, and societal implication of ML. In addition, our findings showed that a middle school student can learn and understand ML, even when one had no prior knowledge or interest in science related careers. The findings have implication for pedagogical design of AI instruction in middle school context. We discuss the implication of our results for researchers and relevant stakeholders, highlight the limitations and chart future work paths.

Effect of a Hands-On Chemistry Intervention on the behavioural and effective attitudes of learners from low socio-economic high schools

This research focused on the effect that three easily accessible, cost-effective, and hands-on chemistry experiments which are aligned to Curriculum Assessment Policy Statements (CAPS), had on Grade 9 learners from low socio-economic high schools. These experiments were conducted in an after-school science club format at two quintile-1 high schools situated in Gqeberha, South Africa. The learners' behavioural and affective attitudes were examined using group interviews (n = 6) and a survey (n = 61). The findings from this study showed that learners wanted to share knowledge with their peers and community after learning new scientific skills at the science-club. Learners also recognized the economic and practical importance of science related careers. Responses revealed that learners lose interest if the science does not actively connect or engage with their current circumstances. This study also showed that learners were further motivated to pursue studies in Physical Science in Grades 10 to 12.

Genre and Register Features of Sixth-Grade Students’ Factual Writing

Factual writing is a key macrogenre of American K-12 schooling that is also valued in workplace and society. This study examined the genre and register features of two subgenres of factual writing—biography and report—composed by 48 sixth-grade students in a curriculum unit on scientists and science-related careers aimed at developing students’ understanding of the nature of science. These texts were analyzed for a range of schematic, lexical, and grammatical features that instantiate the two target genres. Statistical and descriptive analyses revealed that the students demonstrated a fairly mature control over the schematic and lexical features that realize the purpose of either genre and relied heavily on the grammatical resources characteristic of everyday registers in constructing both genres. Additionally, there was a positive relationship between the students’ genre/register familiarity and the holistic quality of their writing, and the students’ reading proficiency was a significant predictor of their genre familiarity and holistic writing quality, but not their register understanding. These findings suggest that learning the grammatical resources characteristic of academic registers remains a major and potentially daunting task for many adolescents.

An Undergraduate Introduction to Physiology Course as an Opportunity to Address Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Biomedical Science

If you asked someone to conjure an image in their mind of a scientist, most people envision someone who roughly resembles Albert Einstein. This is largely because we are constantly bombarded with consistent, stereotyped images about what type of person “does science”. In most science courses and textbooks, the people given credit for major scientific advancements are typically white males. In fact, if you search the internet for lists of the most influential or famous scientists, the top ones listed are almost exclusively white males. Whether or not this lack of diverse representations of scientists registers consciously, the impact of this messaging about the types of people who work in science is clear and consistent. Therefore, it is important that STEM faculty recognize the impact of this messaging and develop mechanisms to combat it, especially considering the increasingly diverse array of postsecondary students interested in STEM majors. The first opportunity to combat this dominant narrative should occur on the first day of class by focusing on diversity and inclusion statements included in the syllabus in conjunction with the collaborative development of agreed upon social norms and expectations. In addition, assignments that allow students to connect with and recognize the contributions of non‐stereotypical scientists help to provide concrete examples that are likely to be effective at countering the dominant narrative that the quintessential scientist is a white male. Therefore, I added a Physiologist biography assignment to my undergraduate Introduction to Physiology course with the objective of providing multiple examples throughout the course of the semester that counter scientist stereotypes. For the assignment, students selected a scientist to research from a curated list that included only women and minority physiologists. The assignment required that they write a paper and give an oral presentation to the class about the scientist’s personal life, career trajectory and scientific contributions along with a discussion about how the student related to the scientist personally. To assess the impact of the assignment on student notions of scientist stereotypes and overall scientist relatability, we conducted a pre‐ and post‐course survey, which indicated a significant shift in student biases of scientists being predominantly white and male. Focus group assessment revealed themes indicating that the assignment also improved student identification with people in science‐related careers. Therefore, this pedagogical intervention appears to be beneficial as a step toward creating a more inclusive STEM educational environment.

Exploring Particular Learner Factors Associated with South African Mathematics Learners’ Achievement: Gender Gap or Not

Mathematics is a gateway to science-related careers and all stakeholders want to improve the achievement levels in mathematics. In this study we use data from the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study 2015 to investigate the association between the learner situational factors of gender, grade level age appropriateness, school location and test language familiarity with the mathematics achievement. We are particularly interested in whether gender can predict mathematics achievement, after taking into account these learner situational factors. The study used multiple regression to investigate the association between the variables where the mathematics achievement scores were calculated out of a possible 1000 scale points, with a mean of 500. The average score for the South African participants was 372. The regression predicts that learners who attend school in a rural and small village school are expected to achieve 63 and 48 points lower, respectively, than their counterparts from a similar background. In terms of the age effect, the regression predicts overall that a learner who is above the expected age for Grade 9 will get 60 points lower than a learner who is at the appropriate age the grade from a similar background. Furthermore the results show that if school location, familiarity with the test and age appropriateness are held constant, boys do better on average than girls by seven points and this is a significant effect. This result is unexpected since in the original data, the mean of the girls’ scores was on average higher than that of the boys. The study illustrates that gendered differences can only be adequately understood when other situational factors are considered. In order to improve the equity of the outcomes, targeted systemic interventions are necessary, which focus on improving the effectiveness of instruction and quality of learning opportunities so as to mediate the effect of these situational factors.

121. Evaluation of An Early High School Student Science Kickstarter Program: Virtual Gateway to Science Curricula and Mentorship During the COVID-19 Pandemic

People from racial and ethnic minority groups, those with disabilities, and those from low-income backgrounds are underrepresented in higher education and science-related careers. Adolescents from these groups are less likely to attend college and obtain a science degree or pursue a science-related career. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of a diverse healthcare workforce and exacerbated educational disparities already experienced by youth from disadvantaged backgrounds. While science internship programs can help encourage science interest and pursuit, we know less about the role that virtual curricula play in advancing science education and mentorship opportunities.

On their own terms? Opening up senior science learning for non-specialist science students

ABSTRACT The ability to understand science is important for productive participation in societies that rely on scientific knowledge to guide decision-making. A challenge is how to motivate and engage all learners in science, and not just those destined for science-related careers. This challenge becomes more acute in senior secondary high-stakes assessment contexts where science traditionally becomes discipline-based and optional. The New Zealand framework curriculum and modular credit-based secondary exit qualification introduces systems-level flexibilities that support the offering of learning choices that can take science on a track different to conventional discipline-based courses. This article reports on findings of an eight-month study involving three cycles of collaborative action research with a Year 12 science class. We describe and analyse students’ experiences when a teacher opened learning choices using different types of science inquiry in a new General Science course. Students were working on the New Zealand senior secondary exit qualification. Findings show how students can respond to different levels of choice to learn and achieve more on their own terms. While tensions and cautionary notes are floated, findings demonstrate how offering flexibility and choice to non-specialist science students can make science more accessible by responding to diverse learning motivations and interests.

Conformity and Aptitude As Predictors Of Science Related Career Choice Among Secondary School Students In Rivers State, Nigeria.

The present study investigated conformity and aptitude as predictors of science related career choice among secondary school students in Rivers state. Correlation research design was used in the investigation. A sample of 675 SS2 students were drawn from a population of 13,204 SSII students across the 268 public secondary schools in the three senatorial zones in the state. Multiple stages of sampling procedures were used to draw this sample size. Three instruments namely “Adolescents Conformity Scale”, “Science Aptitude Test Question” as well as the Science Career ChoiceInventory were used for the study. Experts vetting was used in validating the instruments while the reliability was determined using Cronbach Alpha method with reliability indices of 0.71 for Adolescents Conformity Scale, 0.84 for Science Aptitude Test Question and 0.82 for Science Career Choice Inventory were obtained. Simple linear regression was used to analyze the data generated from the research instruments. Result of the study showed that conformity relates about 0.7% with science career choice and it (p=0.025<0.05) significantly predict science related career choice among secondary school students in Rivers State. Also aptitude relates about 1.1% with science career choice and(p=0.007<0.05) significantly predict science related career choice among secondary school students in Rivers State. It was concluded that conformity and aptitude are strong predictors of career choice in general and not just limited to science related ones.

Children's implicit theories of creativity in science

Science is a source of innovation, but are scientists perceived as creative? This question seems particularly important, as the way in which science and scientists are perceived might affect students’ attitudes towards STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). If this perception is biased or overly stereotypical, it might have a detrimental effect on whether students will consider pursuing a science-related career. In this study, we investigated Polish elementary school students’ implicit theories of creativity in science. Nearly five hundred students (N = 489, 54% girls) were asked to produce detailed drawings representing how they perceive a scientist. Each drawing was then scored in several categories, with a particular focus on the signs of stereotypical perception of scientists. This stereotypical perception was found to be quite persistent: more than half of the drawings contained at least one stereotypical element (most predominantly male gender). The degree of the stereotypical depiction of scientists was higher among boys than girls and negatively related to students’ learning goals. We discuss the theoretical consequences of these findings as well as future research directions.

Methodology to combine theoretical knowledge with a data-driven probabilistic graphical model

ABSTRACT This study presents an analytic inference methodology using probabilistic modeling that provides faster decision-making and a better understanding of complex relations. Two educational psychology models (i.e., the MUSIC Model of Motivation and the domain identification model) were coupled with a data-driven Probabilistic Graphical Model to provide a top-down and bottom-up combination for reasoning. Using survey data from middle school students, Bayesian Network models captured the probabilistic interactions between students’ perceptions of their science class, their identification with science, and their science career goals. Complex/non-linear relationships among these variables revealed that students’ perceptions of their science class (i.e., eMpowerment, Usefulness, Success, Interest, and Caring) were significant predictors of their science-related career goals. These findings provide validity evidence for using the MUSIC and domain identification models and provide educators and school administrators with a web-based simulator to estimate the effect of students’ science class perceptions on their science identification and career goals.

Reintroducing \u201cthe\u201d Scientific Method to Introduce Scientific Inquiry in Schools?

There are some crucial critiques on scientific inquiry and “the” Scientific Method in current science education. Recent research literature is replete with arguments against inquiry’s legitimacy to be included in science classes, and it has even been abandoned from the Next Generation Science Standards. Critics of scientific inquiry in schools blame it to be a caricature of authentic inquiry suffering from five shortcomings: (1) knowledge becomes desocialized from its generative contexts, (2) scientific inquiry in schools suggests methodological monism favoring (3) a primacy of experimentation, (4) which portrays scientific inquiry as a knowledge automaton (5) raising an illusion of determination with regard to the generation of knowledge. This article argues for a reorientation of scientific inquiry in schools tentatively embracing “the” Scientific Method anew since critics appear not to sufficiently consider that scientific inquiry operates differently in schools from science. It will be shown that most critiques can be defused when untangling such an illegitimate mix-up of science proper with school science. It will be argued that current (and recent) descriptions of how science generates knowledge lack authoritative validity and should be fundamentally revisited. “The” Scientific Method will be shown to be a valid idealization that can serve as a frame of reference for introductory science classes. Still, it is understood that science education needs to extend beyond “the” Scientific Method if it is to prepare for science-related careers.