Abstract
In Sweden, there is concern about fewer students taking chemistry courses in higher education, especially at university level. Using a survey, this study investigates the reasons upper secondary school chemistry students choose to follow the Swedish Natural Science Programme. In addition, students’ views about their chemistry education are sought and their ideas about how to improve their chemistry experience. A questionnaire with closed and open questions was completed by 495 chemistry students from different schools in Sweden. The analysis shows that most students have high interest-enjoyment value of chemistry, but both positive and negative responses about their chemistry education refer to the importance of the teacher and the structure of lessons. To improve their chemistry experience, students suggest making it relevant to everyday life and being more practical and more student centred. For positively inclined students to maintain their value of chemistry beyond schooling into choice at university level, the programme should take these suggestions into account.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Abrahams, I. (2009). Does practical work really motivate? A study of the affective value of practical work in secondary school science. International Journal of Science Education, 31(17), 2335–2353.
Aikenhead, G. S. (2006). Science education for everyday life: Evidence-based practice. New York: Teachers College Press.
Anderhag, P., Emanuelsson, P., Wickman, P.-O. & Hamza, K. M. (2013). Students’ choice of post-compulsory science: In search of schools that compensate for the socio-economic background of their students. International Journal of Science Education, 35(18), 3141–3160.
Andersson, S., Sonesson, A., Svahn, O., Tullberg, A. & Rydén, L. (2008). Gymnasiekemi B [Chemistry B for upper secondary school]. Stockholm: Liber.
Archer, L., Dewitt, J., Osborne, J., Dillon, J., Willis, B. & Wong, B. (2010). “Doing” science versus “Being” a scientist: Examining 10/11-year-old schoolchildren’s constructions of science through the lens of identity. Science Education, 94(4), 617–639.
Barmby, P., Kind, P. M. & Jones, K. (2008). Examining changing attitudes in secondary school science. International Journal of Science Education, 30(8), 1075–1093.
Bennett, J. & Hogarth, S. (2009). Would you want to talk to a scientist at a party? High school students’ attitude to school science and to science. International Journal of Science Education, 31(14), 1975–1998.
Bennett, J., Lubben, F. & Hampden-Thompson, G. (2013). Schools that make a difference to post-compulsory uptake of physical science subjects: Some comparative case studies in England. International Journal of Science Education, 35(4), 663–689.
Bennett, J., Lubben, F. & Hogarth, S. (2007). Bringing science to life: A synthesis of the research evidence on the effects of context-based and STS approaches to science teaching. Science Education, 91(3), 347–370.
Bøe, M. V., Henrikson, E. K., Lyons, T. & Schreiner, C. (2011). Participation in science and technology: Young people’s achievement-related choices in late-modern society. Studies in Science Education, 47(1), 37–72.
Broman, K., Ekborg, M. & Johnels, D. (2011). Chemistry in crisis? Perspectives on teaching and learning chemistry in Swedish upper secondary schools. Nordic Journal of Science Education, 7(1), 43–60.
Christidou, V. (2011). Interest, attitudes and images related to science: Combining students’ voices with the voices of school science, teachers, and popular science. International Journal of Environmental and Science Education, 6(2), 141–159.
Darby, L. (2005). Science students’ perceptions of engaging pedagogy. Research in Science Education, 35(4), 425–445.
Denscombe, M. (2010). The good research guide for small-scale social research projects (4th ed.). Maidenhead: Open University Press.
Eccles, J. S., Adler, T. F., Futterman, R., Goff, S. B., Kaczala, C. M., Meece, J. L. & Midgley, C. (1983). Expectancies, values, and academic behaviors. In J. T. Spence (Ed.), Achievement and achievement motivation (pp. 75–146). San Francisco: W H Freeman.
Eccles, J. S. & Wigfield, A. (2002). Motivational beliefs, values, and goals. Annual Review of Psychology, 53, 109–132.
Engström, C., Backlund, P., Berger, R. & Grennberg, H. (2000). Kemi A. Tema & teori. [Chemistry A. Theme & theory]. Stockholm: Bonnier Utbildning.
Engström, C., Backlund, P., Berger, R. & Grennberg, H. (2001). Kemi B. Tema & teori. [Chemistry B. Theme & theory]. Stockholm: Bonnier Utbildning.
Fensham, P. J. (2004). Defining an identity: The evolution of science education as a field of research. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academics Publishers.
Hampden-Thompson, G. & Bennett, J. (2013). Science teaching and learning activities and students’ engagement in science. International Journal of Science Education, 35(8), 1323–1343.
Hattie, J. A. C. (2008). Visible learning: A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses relating to achievement. London: Routledge.
Henriksson, A. (2007). Syntes B—kemi för gymnasieskolan [Synthesis B—chemistry for upper secondary school]. Malmö: Gleerups.
Hofstein, A. & Kesner, M. (2006). Industrial chemistry and school chemistry: Making chemistry studies more relevant. International Journal of Science Education, 28(9), 1017–1039.
Hofstein, A. & Lunetta, V. N. (2004). The laboratory in science education: Foundations for the twenty-first century. Science Education, 88(1), 28–54.
Holmegaard, H. T., Madsen, L. M. & Ulriksen, L. (2014). To choose or not to choose science: Constructions of desirable identities among young people considering a STEM higher education programme. International Journal of Science Education, 36(2), 186–215.
Jenkins, E. W. & Nelson, N. W. (2005). Important but not for me: Students’ attitudes towards secondary school science in England. Research in Science & Technological Education, 23(1), 41–57.
Jidesjö, A., Oscarsson, M., Karlsson, K.-G. & Strömdahl, H. (2009). Science for all or science for some: What Swedish students want to learn about in secondary science and technology and their opinions on science lessons. Nordic Journal of Science Education, 11(2), 213–229.
King, D. (2012). New perspectives on context-based chemistry education: Using a dialectical sociocultural approach to view teaching and learning. Studies in Science Education, 48(1), 51–87.
King, D. & Ritchie, S. M. (2013). Academic success in context-based chemistry: Demonstrating fluid transitions between concepts and context. International Journal of Science Education, 35(7), 1159–1182.
King, D., Winner, E. & Ginns, I. (2011). Outcomes and implications of one teacher’s approach to context-based science in the middle years. Teaching Science, 57(2), 26–34.
Lundahl, L. (2011). Swedish upper secondary education: Policy and organisational context. In E. Öhrn, L. Lundahl & D. Beach (Eds.), Young people’s influence and democratic education: Ethographic studies in upper secondary schools. London: The Tufnell Press.
Osborne, J. & Collins, S. (2001). Pupils’ views of the role and value of the science curriculum: A focus-group study. International Journal of Science Education, 23(5), 441–467.
Osborne, J. & Dillon, J. (2008). Science education in Europe: Critical reflections. A report to the Nuffield Foundation. London: King’s College.
Oskarsson, M. & Karlsson, K.-G. (2011). Health care or atom bombs? Interest profiles connected to a science career in Sweden. Nordic Journal of Science Education, 7(2), 190–201.
Pallant, J. (2010). SPSS survival manual (4th ed.). Maidenhead: Open University Press.
Pilling, G. M. & Waddington, D. J. (2005). Implementation of large-scale science curricula: A study in seven European Countries. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 14(4), 393–407.
Pilot, A. & Bulte, A. M. W. (2006). Why do you “Need to know”? Context-based education. International Journal of Science Education, 28(9), 953–956.
Reid, N. (2011). Attitude research in science education. In I. M. Saleh & S. M. Khine (Eds.), Attitude research in science education: Classic and contemporary measurements. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.
Reiss, M., Hoyles, C., Mujtaba, T., Riazi-Farzad, B., Rodd, M., Simon, S. & Stylianidou, F. (2011). Understanding participation rates in post-16 mathematics and physics: Conceptualising and operationalising the UPMAP project. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 9, 273–302.
SACO (2013). Framtidsutsikter: Arbetsmarknaden för akademiker år 2018. [Future outlook: labour market for academics 2018].
SCB (2012). Statistics Sweden Övergång gymnasieskola-högskola [Transition Upper Secondary School-University]. Available from http://www.scb.se/sv_/Hitta-statistik/Statistik-efter-amne/Utbildning-och-forskning/Befolkningens-utbildning/Overgang-gymnasieskola-hogskola/Aktuell-pong/2011L12/Behallare-for-Press/Overgang-fran-gymnasieskola-till-hogskola-lasaret-201011/. Accessed 8 May 2014
Schreiner, C. (2006). Exploring a ROSE-Garden: Norwegian youth’s orientations towards science—seen as signs of late modern identities. (Doctoral), University of Oslo, Oslo.
Schreiner, C. & Sjøberg, S. (2007). Science education and young people’s identity construction—Two mutually incompatible projects. In D. Corrigan, J. Dillon & R. Gunstone (Eds.), The re-emergence of values in the science curriculum (pp. 231–248). Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.
Sevian, H., & Talanquer, V. (2014). Rethinking chemistry: A learning progression on chemical thinking. Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 15(1), 10-23.
Shulman, L. S. (1986). Those who understand: Knowledge growth in teaching. Educational Researcher, 15, 4–14.
Simon, S. & Osborne, J. (2010). Students’ attitudes to science. In J. Osborne & J. Dillon (Eds.), Good practice in science teaching: What research has to say (2nd ed., pp. 238–258). Maidenhead: Open University Press.
Sjöberg, S. & Schreiner, C. (2010). The ROSE project. An overview and key findings (pp. 1–31). Oslo: University of Olso.
Smith, E. (2010a). Do we need more scientists? A long-term view of patterns of participation in UK undergraduate science programmes. Cambridge Journal of Education, 40(3), 281–298.
Smith, E. (2010b). Is there a crisis in school science education in the UK? Educational Review, 62(2), 189–202.
Swedish National Agency for Education (2000). Chemistry syllabi for upper secondary school. Stockholm: The Swedish National Agency for Education.
Swedish National Agency for Education (2012). Statistics and analysis. Available from http://www.skolverket.se/statistik-och-utvardering. Accessed 8 May 2014
Tai, R. H., Qi Liu, C., Maltese, A. V. & Fan, X. (2006). Planning early for careers in science. Science, 312(5777), 1143–1144.
Teknikdelegationen. (2010). Vändpunkt Sverige-ett ökat intresse för matematik, naturvetenskap, teknik och IKT [Turning Point Sweden—an enhanced interest in STEM]. Technology Delegation. SOU 2010:28.
Toplis, R. (2012). Students’ views about secondary school science lessons: The role of practical work. Research in Science Education, 42(3), 531–549.
Tytler, R., & Osborne, J. (2012). Student attitudes and aspirations towards science. In B. J. Fraser, K. G. Tobin & C. J. McRobbie (Eds.), Second international handbook of science education. Berlin: Springer.
Ültay, N. & Calik, M. (2012). A thematic review of studies into the effectiveness of context-based chemistry curricula. Journal of Science Education and Technology, 21, 686–701.
Zeidler, D. L., Sadler, T. D., Simmons, M. L. & Howes, E. V. (2005). Beyond STS: A research-based framework for socioscientific issues education. Science Education, 89(3), 357–377.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Electronic Supplementary Material
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
ESM 1
(DOCX 72 kb)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Broman, K., Simon, S. UPPER SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS’ CHOICE AND THEIR IDEAS ON HOW TO IMPROVE CHEMISTRY EDUCATION. Int J of Sci and Math Educ 13, 1255–1278 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-014-9550-0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-014-9550-0