Secondary students' values and perceptions of science-related careers: responses to vignette-based scenarios

Journal article

Taber, K., Billingsley, B. and Riga, F. 2021. Secondary students' values and perceptions of science-related careers: responses to vignette-based scenarios. SN Social Sciences. 1 (5), p. 104. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43545-021-00130-9

Publication dates
Authors	Taber, K., Billingsley, B. and Riga, F.
Abstract	There has been concern about the attractiveness of science-based careers to many adolescent learners, and it has been suggested that school science may not always recognise or engage personal values that are important to young people in making life choices. The present study discusses interview comments made by upper secondary level students in England when 15 young people were asked to give their personal responses to brief vignettes describing scientific careers. Using an interview-about-scenarios approach, the students were asked about whether they would feel comfortable working in the scientific careers represented. The career areas were purposefully selected because they might be considered to potentially raise issues in relation to personal values or commitments that some students might hold. A range of student perceptions relating to the mooted careers were elicited (positive, negative and indifferent), but all of the participants raised issues that impacted on the acceptability or attractiveness of at least one of the mooted scientific careers, in terms of aspects of their own personal beliefs and values systems. It is recommended that teachers and career advisors should be aware of the range of value-related considerations that influence student views of science-related careers and should consider exploring aspects of science-based careers that link to values commonly shared by young people. This exploratory study also offers indications for directions for further research exploring how learners' value systems impact upon their perceptions of science and scientific work.
Keywords	Cultural values and science education; Emotional responses to science; Ethics and science education; Extra-scientific values; Student perceptions of careers
Year	2021
Journal	SN Social Sciences
Journal citation	1 (5), p. 104
ISSN	2662-9283
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)	https://doi.org/10.1007/s43545-021-00130-9
Official URL	https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s43545-021-00130-9
Funder	John Templeton Foundation
Online	30 Apr 2021
Print	01 Jan 2021
Publication process dates
Accepted	02 Apr 2021
Deposited	02 Feb 2022
Publisher's version	Taber2021_Article_SecondaryStudentsValuesAndPerc.pdf License CC BY 4.0
Output status	Published
License	CC BY

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