Name
Abstract | ||
|---|---|---|
Considerable effort has been spent on interventions to increase the numbers/diversity of young people studying Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and/or entering STEM related careers with little evidence of their effectiveness. In the UK, less than 10% of professional engineers are female. Science capital is a recent concept for capturing those elements that influence children's choice of a science-related career. Children with higher science capital are more likely to choose a STEM career than those with lower science capital and therefore interventions to increase science capital are needed. Initially studies evaluating science capital have focused on secondary age children (aged 11 18 years). Here a research approach for evaluating science capital among primary age children (aged 7 11 years) is presented using a mixed methods approach. Results indicate that children share similar perceptions of scientists as 'hardworking', 'clever' and 'creative' independent of gender, age and science capital. However, children's self-identify differed by gender, age and science capital, illustrating significant gaps for some children between their self-identity and that of a scientist. Interventions focusing on narrowing this gap should increase the likelihood of them considering a science-related career. |
Year | Venue | Keywords |
|---|---|---|
2016 | Frontiers in Education Conference | science education,science capital,STEM outreach,research methods,career advice and guidance,young people,gender,diversity |
Field | DocType | ISSN |
Developmental psychology,Psychological intervention,Engineering profession,Sociology,Knowledge management,Pedagogy,Perception,Science education | Conference | 0190-5848 |
Citations | PageRank | References |
0 | 0.34 | 0 |
Authors | ||
4 | ||
Name | Order | Citations | PageRank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annie Padwick | 1 | 0 | 0.34 |
| Opeyemi Dele-Ajayi | 2 | 1 | 2.08 |
| Carol Davenport | 3 | 0 | 0.68 |
| Rebecca Strachan | 4 | 115 | 10.11 |