Why school students choose and reject science: a study of the factors that students consider when selecting subjects

Palmer, TA; Burke, PF; Aubusson, P

Why school students choose and reject science: a study of the factors that students consider when selecting subjects

Palmer, TA

Burke, PF

Aubusson, P

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: International Journal of Science Education, 2017, 39 (6), pp. 645 - 662
Issue Date:: 2017-04-13

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Palmer, TA https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8114-1654	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Burke, PF https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0978-0237	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Aubusson, P https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6319-0695	en_US
dc.date.available	2020-05-25T19:02:54Z
dc.date.issued	2017-04-13	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	International Journal of Science Education, 2017, 39 (6), pp. 645 - 662	en_US
dc.identifier.issn	0950-0693	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/98701
dc.description.abstract	© 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Student study of science at school has been linked to the need to provide a scientifically capable workforce and a scientifically literate society. Educators, scientists, and policymakers are concerned that too few students are choosing science for study in their final years of school. How and why students choose and reject certain subjects, including science, at this time is unclear. A Best–Worst Scaling (BWS) survey was completed by 333 Year 10 (age 14–17) students to investigate the relative importance of 21 factors thought to impact students’ subject-selection decisions. Students ranked enjoyment, interest and ability in a subject, and its perceived need in their future study or career plans as the most important factors in both choosing and rejecting subjects. They considered advice from teachers, parents or peers as relatively less important. These findings indicate that enhancing students’ enjoyment, interest, and perceptions of their ability in science, as well as increasing student perceptions of its value in a future career, may result in more students studying science at school.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	International Journal of Science Education	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1080/09500693.2017.1299949	en_US
dc.subject.classification	Education	en_US
dc.title	Why school students choose and reject science: a study of the factors that students consider when selecting subjects	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	6	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	39	en_US
utslib.for	1302 Curriculum and Pedagogy	en_US
utslib.for	1303 Specialist Studies in Education	en_US
utslib.for	1608 Sociology	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences/School of International Studies
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Business
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Business/Marketing Discipline
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - ACRI - Australia China Relations Institute
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - BIDA - Business Intelligence and Data Analytics
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - STEM Education Futures
utslib.copyright.status	open_access
pubs.issue	6	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	39	en_US

Abstract:

© 2017 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Student study of science at school has been linked to the need to provide a scientifically capable workforce and a scientifically literate society. Educators, scientists, and policymakers are concerned that too few students are choosing science for study in their final years of school. How and why students choose and reject certain subjects, including science, at this time is unclear. A Best–Worst Scaling (BWS) survey was completed by 333 Year 10 (age 14–17) students to investigate the relative importance of 21 factors thought to impact students’ subject-selection decisions. Students ranked enjoyment, interest and ability in a subject, and its perceived need in their future study or career plans as the most important factors in both choosing and rejecting subjects. They considered advice from teachers, parents or peers as relatively less important. These findings indicate that enhancing students’ enjoyment, interest, and perceptions of their ability in science, as well as increasing student perceptions of its value in a future career, may result in more students studying science at school.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/98701