Scientists Reflect on Why They Chose to Study Science

Abstract

A concern commonly raised in the literature and in the media relates to the declining proportions of students who enter and remain in the "science pipeline," and whether many countries, including Australia and New Zealand, have enough budding scientists to fill research and industry positions in the coming years. In addition, there is concern that insufficient numbers of students continue in science to ensure an informed, scientifically literate citizenry. The aim of the research presented in this paper was to survey current Australian and New Zealand scientists to explore their reasons for choosing to study science. An online survey was conducted via a link to SurveyGizmo. The data presented are from 726 respondents who answered 22 forced-choice items and an open-ended question about the reasons they chose to study science. The quantitative data were analysed using t-tests and analyses of variance (ANOVA) followed by Duncan's multiple range tests, and the qualitative data were analysed thematically. The quantitative data showed that the main reasons scientists reported choosing to study science were because they were interested in science and because they were good at science. Secondary school science classes and one particular science teacher also were found to be important factors. Of much less importance were the prestige of science and financial considerations. The qualitative data expanded on these findings and showed that passion for science and/or curiosity about the world were important factors and also highlighted the importance of recreational pursuits, such as camping when a child.In the words of one respondent, "People don't go into science for the money and glory. It's passion for knowledge and science that always attracted me to the field". Research Rationale: Choosing ScienceOver the last decades, a plethora of reports and position papers have been released arguing the importance of science education, not only because a continuing supply of science, mathematics, engineering and technology (STEM) workers are required to fill positions in research and industry, but because there is an increasing need for citizens to have sufficient understanding of the science-related complexities of their everyday lives to participate in decision-making about various local and global issues. Some of the well-cited reports include

Determinants of Bachelor Students’ Intention to Enter a Research-Oriented Career

“…The positive influence of the attitude towards research on the intention to enter a research-oriented career is in line with our hypothesis. Venville et al (2013) observed the same, but more specifically for science students. Nevertheless, it is clear that not all variables contribute equally to a better prediction of openness for research.…”

“…Several researchers have observed a positive relationship between attitude towards science and choosing an academic education in science among students (Venville, Rennie, Hanbury & Longnecker, 2013). Guerin, Jayatilaka and Ranasinghe (2015) call this intrinsic motivation and saw it as a strong motivator among Australian students to pursue a higher degree by research.…”

Changes in Children’s Science-Related Career Aspirations from Age 11 to Age 14

“…Concurrently, while many graduates and scientists have believed that they always had an interest in science, almost a third of a sample of scientists from the USA (Maltese and Tai 2010;Maltese et al 2014) and over half of a sample from across Australia and New Zealand (Venville et al 2013) have reported that their interest developed during secondary school, which highlights the importance of this time.…”

High School Student Rationales for Studying Advanced Science: Analysis of Their Psychological and Cultural Capitals

“…Studies examining some specific PsyCaps for studying science are relatively common in the science education literature. Interest and confidence are the most influential PsyCaps in choosing to study science, according to students (Venville, Rennie, Hanbury, & Longnecker, 2013). Biology interest predicts school student biology career orientations (Uitto, 2014).…”