Students’ intentions towards studying science at upper-secondary school: the differential effects of under-confidence and over-confidence

Understanding students’ intentions to study science at upper-secondary school, at university, and to follow science careers continues as a central concern for international science education. Prior research has highlighted that students’ science confidence has been associated with their intentions to study science further, although under-confidence and over-confidence (lower or higher confidence than expected, given someone’s attainment) have not been considered in detail. Accordingly, this study explored whether under-confident, accurately evaluating, and over-confident students expressed different attitudes towards their science education, and explored how under-confidence and over-confidence might influence students’ science intentions. The questionnaire responses of 1523 students from 12 secondary schools in England were considered through analysis of variance and predictive modelling. Under-confident students expressed consistently lower science attitudes than accurately evaluating and over-confident students, despite reporting the same science grades as accurately evaluating students. Students’ intentions to study science were predicted by different factors in different ways, depending on whether the students were under-confident, accurate, or over-confident. For accurately evaluating and over-confident students, science intentions were predicted by their self-efficacy beliefs (their confidence in their expected future science attainment). For under-confident students, science intentions were predicted by their self-concept beliefs (their confidence in currently ‘doing well’ or ‘being good’ at science). Many other differences were also apparent. Fundamentally, under-confidence may be detrimental not simply through associating with lower attitudes, but through students considering their choices in different ways. Under-confidence may accordingly require attention to help ensure that students’ future choices are not unnecessarily constrained

The impact of nature on children’s wellbeing

Engaging with nature has been found to be associated with various benefits, including benefits for physical health and self-reported well-being (e.g. Rogerson, Barton, Bragg, & Pretty, 2017). However, most of the research to date has been undertaken with adults and much less is known about the benefits to children. Here we report on a project funded by The Wildlife Trusts in which we undertook research to investigate what children felt they got from participating in outdoor activities

Primary children’s views about appreciating, supporting, and learning about nature

Biology education aims to inspire interest, curiosity, and understanding about the natural world, foster children’s interests and orientations towards supporting and protecting nature, and support children towards biology-related careers (including those involving nature and animals). However, it remains less clear how these views might associate with different aspects of education and life. In order to gain new insights, 679 children in England (between 7 and 10 years old) were surveyed. The questionnaire included established measures for views about nature and learning, alongside new areas. The analysis applied predictive modelling to reveal independent associations between the children’s views. The children’s appreciation of nature and affinities towards animals were two of the strongest positive predictors of their interest in learning about nature, which was the strongest positive predictor of their aspirations towards careers involving nature or animals. Other findings highlighted the importance of nature-related activities and also children’s wider educational contexts and views. Watching nature-related media positively predicted children’s interest in learning about nature, while reading books about nature or wildlife positively predicted children’s aspirations towards careers involving nature or animals. Children’s confidence and enjoyment in their schoolwork positively predicted their appreciation of nature and also their interest in learning about nature

Children’s Aspirations Towards Science-related Careers

Science-related careers are often considered to be less accessible by many children. More research is needed to distinguish any influences from different aspects of life so that support and/or interventions can be focused to help mitigate any disadvantage and inaccessibility. In order to gain greater understanding of constraints or influences on children’s aspirations towards science-related careers, a nationally-representative cohort of 7820 children in England was considered at age 11 and at age 14. At age 11, children’s science-related career aspirations were predictively associated with their ethnicity, gender, and science self-confidence, and also (at lower magnitudes) with the children’s motivation towards school and indicators of family advantage. At age 14, children’s aspirations were predictively associated with their prior aspirations (as of age 11), science self-confidence (as of age 14), and again with ethnicity and gender. Notably, these gender and ethnicity associations varied when considering specific aspirations towards science/engineering and towards medicine/health: boys were more likely to express science/engineering aspirations and less likely to express medicine/health aspirations; concurrently, children from some minority ethnic backgrounds were less likely to express science/engineering aspirations and more likely to express medicine/health aspirations. Overall, the findings suggest that support after age 11 still needs to promote the feasibility of different science careers for all children

Science teaching and students’ attitudes and aspirations: The importance of conveying the applications and relevance of science

More people studying and working within science are desired in numerous countries, although it remains less clear how educators can help. Analysis considered nationally-representative samples of students in England, aged 15 (Year 11), from 2006 and 2015. On both occasions, accounting for students’ background and other views, students’ perceived utility of science most strongly and positively associated with their science-related career aspirations, while students’ reports of encountering different teaching approaches had smaller or no associations. Conveying the wider applications of science to students was the only teaching approach to consistently and positively associate with students’ utility and other attitudes. Developing students’ attitudes, and hence their aspirations, through highlighting the applications and relevance of science to everyday life may be beneficial

Students’ Changing Attitudes and Aspirations Towards Physics During Secondary School

Many countries desire more students to study science subjects, although relatively few students decide to study non-compulsory physics at upper-secondary school and at university. To gain insight into students’ intentions to study non-compulsory physics, a longitudinal sample (covering 2258 students across 88 secondary schools in England) was surveyed in year 8 (age 12/13) and again in year 10 (age 14/15). Predictive modelling highlighted that perceived advice, perceived utility of physics, interest in physics, self-concept beliefs (students’ subjective beliefs of their current abilities and performance) and home support specifically orientated to physics were key predictors of students’ intentions. Latent-transition analysis via Markov models revealed clusters of students, given these factors at years 8 and 10. Students’ intentions varied across the clusters, and at year 10 even varied when accounting for the students’ underlying attitudes and beliefs, highlighting that considering clusters offered additional explanatory power and insight. Regardless of whether three-cluster, four-cluster, or five-cluster models were considered, the majority of students remained in the same cluster over time; for those who transitioned clusters, more students changed clusters reflecting an increase in attitudes than changed clusters reflecting a decrease. Students in the cluster with the most positive attitudes were most likely to remain within that cluster, while students in clusters with less positive attitudes were more likely to change clusters. Overall, the cluster profiles highlighted that students’ attitudes and beliefs may be more closely related than previously assumed, but that changes in their attitudes and beliefs were indeed possible

Teachers’ perceptions of Inquiry-Based Science Education (IBSE) and the implications for gender equality in science education

This paper explores the perceived effectiveness of teacher training covering inquiry­based science learning for primary school children in England. Teachers who initially took part in teacher training between 2011 and 2013 as part of the FP7 project Pri­Sci­Net were interviewed during spring and summer term 2014; teachers were asked to reflect on their students’ reactions and engagement. Teachers’ responses were thematically analysed, and the implications are discussed within the context of longer­term implications of primary science education on girls’ attitudes and aspirations in science across their subsequent educatio

Students’ attitudes and intentions towards studying science: the effects of under-confidence and over-confidence

Understanding students’ intentions to study science at upper-secondary school continues to be a central concern for science education. Prior research has associated students’ confidence with their intentions to study science, although under-confidence and over-confidence (lower or higher confidence than expected given someone’s attainment) has not been considered in detail. Under-confident students may not select subjects that they might otherwise succeed in and enjoy, which may be a fundamental barrier. Accordingly, this study explored whether under-confident, accurately-evaluating, and over-confident students expressed different attitudes towards their science education, and explored how under-confidence and over-confidence might influence students’ science intentions. Existing nationally-representative data and newly-collected data from secondary school students in England were considered in order to provide complementary insights and to enhance the plausibility of the findings. Multiple analytical approaches were applied to consider under-confidence and over-confidence, including calculating various indicators of accuracy/bias and applying various approaches to grouping students. The results highlighted that under-confidence and over-confidence may be problematic, not simply through associating with lower or higher attitudes, but also through students considering their choices in different ways