Science choice at school: Gender and the relative importance of - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

▶
science choice at school gender and the relative
SMART_READER_LITE
LIVE PREVIEW

Science choice at school: Gender and the relative importance of - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Sep 03, 2023 253 likes •534 views

Science choice at school: Gender and the relative importance of factors students consider when selecting subjects Tracey-Ann Palmer, Paul F. Burke and Peter Aubusson University of Technology, Sydney, Australia Today Inspiration Fresh Minds

slide-1
SLIDE 1

Science choice at school: Gender and the relative importance of factors students consider when selecting subjects

Tracey-Ann Palmer, Paul F. Burke and Peter Aubusson University of Technology, Sydney, Australia

slide-2
SLIDE 2

Today

Inspiration Fresh Minds for Science Method General findings Gender To find out more

2

slide-3
SLIDE 3

Ainley, Kos, & Nicholas 2008

% choosing science

slide-4
SLIDE 4

IDENTITY SELF EFFICACY INTEREST SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS

GENDER

FUTURE NEEDS CHOICES

slide-5
SLIDE 5

What is the relative importance of the factors that students consider in choosing their subjects for their final years of school?

RESEARCH QUESTION

5

slide-6
SLIDE 6

6

Environ- ment Phase

Survey Phase

Focus Group Phase

Qualitative data Quantitative data

Qualitative data Mixed Methods approach Marketing focus Theory of Reasoned Action

New Knowledge

50 students (10 groups) 4 schools 378 Students from 5 schools 9 events 15 interviews 5 schools

slide-7
SLIDE 7

I think that there has to be a balance between what you are good at and what you love because if you choose everything that you love, you might not necessarily be doing very well and it might bring your marks down, but if you choose things that you are doing really well in, but you might not necessarily love them, you are not going to have the motivation to keep doing well.

Year 10 Girl

FOCUS GROUP PHASE

7

slide-8
SLIDE 8

8

DISLIKE

Reject subject

LIKE & ENJOY

Choose subject

TOO FEW TOO MANY

SUBJECTS STUDENT IS INTERESTED IN

Find subjects to reject Find subjects to choose

Information & Unbiased advice

UNSURE

Subject residual

NEED

First stage Second stage Focus Group Phase

slide-9
SLIDE 9

7 Areas 21 Factors Advice Parents, peers, older peers, teacher Engagement Interest, enjoyment Logistics Units, timetable, information Ability Ability, ATAR, mark expectation Subject characteristics Assessment, classwork, difficulty Teaching Quality, style, like/dislike Usefulness Future study, personal life, career

CHOOSE

  • I will find the subject interesting
  • I enjoyed the subject (or similar

subject)

  • in middle school

REJECT

  • I don't think the subject's

teachers can help me get a good mark

  • I do not like how the subject is

taught

  • I dislike a teacher or teachers I

might get Focus Group Phase

slide-10
SLIDE 10

Circle graph showing similarity between coding in nodes

Ability

10

Focus Group Phase

slide-11
SLIDE 11

Best-Worst Scaling

A survey method where respondents choose the best and worst option from sets of factors to determine the relative importance of factors affecting a decision

11

Louviere, J. J., Flynn, T. N., & Marley, A. A. J. (2015). Best-worst scaling: Theory, methods and applications. Cambridge University Press. Cambridge: United Kingdom.

Survey Phase

slide-12
SLIDE 12

12

Please think about how you chose your subjects for Year 11. For each of the sets of features below, please choose the feature that you find most important AND least important in choosing a subject to study.

Survey Phase

slide-13
SLIDE 13

!3 !2 !1 1 2 3 4

8.)Timetable)fit 7.)Number)of)units 3.)Peer)advice)** 2.)Older)peer)advice 18.)Teacher)like/dislike 13.)Assessment)type 17.)Teaching)style 1.)Parent)advice)* 4.)Teacher)advice 16.)Teacher)quality 11.)ATAR)scaling 9.)Information 15.)Difficulty 20.)Need)for)personal)life 14.)Classwork)style)* 10.)Ability)* 6.)Enjoyment)experience)*** 19.)Need)for)future)study 12.)Mark)expectation 21.)Need)for)career 5.)Interest)expectation BWS)Accept

Female Male

Male v Female correlation: 0.89

slide-14
SLIDE 14

!3 !2 !1 1 2 3

3.'Peer'advice'*** 8.'Timetable'fit'* 2.'Older'peer'advice 13.'Assessment'type 9.'Information 18.'Teacher'dislike'* 7.'Number'of'units 20.'Need'for'personal'life 1.'Parent'advice'* 11.'ATAR'scaling 4.'Teacher'advice 17.'Teaching'style 15.'Difficulty'* 16.'Teacher'quality 10.'Ability'*** 14.'Classwork'style 19.'Need'for'future'study 12.'Mark'expectation 21.'Need'for'career 5.'Interest'expectation 6.'Enjoyment'experience'* BWS'! Reject

Female Male

Male v Female correlation: 0.98

slide-15
SLIDE 15

Compared to boys … Girls scored how much they enjoyed and were interested in a subject more highly when choosing subjects Girls scored their ability in a subject and how difficult it is more highly when rejecting subjects

15

slide-16
SLIDE 16

BUT

Boys and girls are more similar than different in the way they choose their subjects Girls also seem to be in more agreement

16 Image: http://creativityunleashed.wikia.com/ wiki/File:Boy-girl-holding-hands-ka.jpg

slide-17
SLIDE 17

17

Science is more work Science is only useful for a science career Science may be

  • verpriced

and undervalued

Time Effort Resources Need Interest Enjoyment

Cost

Benefit

slide-18
SLIDE 18

18

Science needs to be seen by students as: Valuable: useful in a range of careers Achievable: a subject that students can succeed in Empowering: useful in life because it teaches important skills

18

slide-19
SLIDE 19

Some Approaches

  • 1. Talks from successful science grads in “non-science” jobs
  • 2. Subject selection information to stress broad use of science
  • 3. Highlight growth areas that need science
  • 4. Teach fun topics just prior to choice
  • 5. No hard tests just prior to choice
  • 6. Scaling or bonus points for university entrance
slide-20
SLIDE 20

20

To find out more…

Contact me at Tracey-Ann.Palmer@uts.edu.au Or at my website freshmindsforscience@weebly.com

slide-21
SLIDE 21

Thank you

slide-22
SLIDE 22

Next

Further research is needed….

  • Do BWS but just for

science

  • A DCE to see how

students trade-off factors

22

http://www.cosmosup.com/ science-can-be-funny/4/

slide-23
SLIDE 23

education.uts.edu.au

OVERALL

23

Accept Reject Girls higher than boys Interest expectation (1) Enjoyment experience (5) Ability (6) Classwork style (7) Enjoyment experience (1) Past ability (4) Classwork style (3) Girls lower than boys Parent advice (15) Peer advice (20) Parent advice (17) Peer advice (21) Disliking a teacher (15)

slide-24
SLIDE 24

Top 7 factors

1. Interest expectation 2. Need for career 3. Difficulty 4. Need for future study 5. Enjoyment experience 6. Ability 7. Classwork style 1. Enjoyment experience 2. Interest expectation 3. Difficulty 4. Ability 5. Classwork style 6. Need for career 7. Need for future study

24

Reject Accept

slide-25
SLIDE 25

ACCEPT

25

Factor Male Female

  • 1. Parent advice
  • 0.55
  • 1.08
  • 3. Peer advice
  • 1.91
  • 2.67
  • 5. Interest expectation

2.33 2.89

  • 6. Enjoyment experience

0.99 1.98

  • 10. Ability

0.97 1.64

  • 14. Classwork style

0.95 1.55

slide-26
SLIDE 26

REJECT

26

Factor Male Female

  • 1. Parent advice
  • 0.17
  • 0.84
  • 3. Peer advice
  • 1.49
  • 2.74
  • 6. Enjoyment experience

1.28 1.94

  • 8. Timetable fit
  • 1.47
  • 0.76
  • 10. Ability

0.38 1.55

  • 15. Difficulty
  • 0.06

0.52

  • 18. Teacher dislike

0.11

  • 0.40