Comparison of Four Factors: Reasons for Jobs, Science and Math Preferences, Interests in Science, and Science Aspirations for Children Hoping for Careers in Science, Engineering or Medicine

Abstract

Elementary children, hoping for jobs in science/engineering(Sci/Eng) or medicine(Med), were surveyed on the reasons for jobs, science/math preferences, interests in science, and science aspirations. For 3rd grade boys, twice more students picked Sci/Eng than Med choices. However, for 6th grade boys, the numbers of Sci/Eng and Med became close. The ratios of girls with Sci/Eng in 3rd and 6th grade did not differ much. The 6th graders chosing Med was 1.4 times bigger than 3rd graders for both boys and girls. For students with Sci/Eng, the most important reason for a job was that he/she liked it. For Med, helping others was as much important as doing what he/she liked. Science preference were the highest in the Sci/Eng group. The Med group came next with the non-science group being last. Math preferences were lower than the science preferences. Therefore, children need to be guided to increase the preferences for math as well as for science to keep the Sci/Eng and Med career choices. The interests in science and the science aspirations show similar patterns. The 3rd graders showed higher value than the 6th graders, the boys higher than girls, and the Sci/Eng group highest, the Med the second and non-science group the last. Science aspirations were higher than the interests only for the Sci/Eng group, while it was lower than the interests in all other groups. This implies that science aspirations might have bigger influence on getting a career in Sci/Eng than interest does.