Global Science Forum Activity on

1
Global Science Forum Activity on
DECLINING INTEREST IN SCIENCE STUDIES AMONG YOUNG
PEOPLE
Objectives and Preliminary Report on the
Qualitative Analysis Dr. Frédéric Sgard OECD
Global Science Forum Secretariat
Global Science Forum
2
Global Science Forum Activity on
DECLINING INTEREST IN SCIENCE STUDIES AMONG YOUNG
PEOPLE

• The apparent decline in student enrolments in
  ST curricula, a subject of concern for many OECD
  countries
• A broad and complex problem that may impact the
  development of knowledge-based economies
• A Global Science Forum initiative started in
  2003, in co-operation with other OECD
  Directorates (Statistics, Education)
• An issue highlighted as a priority at the OECD
  meeting of science ministers in January 2004
  within the general topic of human resources for
  ST

Global Science Forum
3

• The OECD Global Science Forum (formerly the
  Megascience Forum)
• http//www.oecd.org/sti/gsf
• A venue for meetings of senior science policy
  officials of OECD countries.
• Its goal identify and maximise opportunities for
  international co-operation in basic scientific
  research by
• Exploring opportunities for new or enhanced
  international co-operation in selected scientific
  areas.
• Defining international frameworks for vital
  national or regional science policy decisions.
• Addressing the scientific dimensions of issues
  of global concern.

• Some recent activities
• The implementation of an International
  Neuroinformatics Coordinating Facility
• A report on Future Large Programmes and Projects
  in Astronomy and Astrophysics
• Workshops on Grid computing and Earthquake
  science
• A study on the Declining Interest in Science
  Studies Among Young People

Global Science Forum
4
Schedule and participants

• Decided at the Global Science Forum meeting in
  July 2003
• Steering Committee established at the end of
  2003 to determine a precise goal and programme of
  work
• Chairman Prof. Jean-Jacques DUBY
• Composition Belgium Canada Denmark Finland
  France Ireland Italy Japan Korea
  Netherlands Norway Portugal USA
• Steering Committee report to the GSF in July
  2004
• Working Group set up in September 2004
• Chairman Prof. Sjoerd E. WENDELAAR BONGA
• Composition Australia Belgium Canada Denmark
  European Commission Finland France Germany
  Ireland Italy Japan Korea Netherlands
  Norway Portugal Sweden USA

Global Science Forum
5
Objective To understand the extent of the
decline, the causes, and possible remedies
Three questions

• What are the amplitude and characteristics of
  the decline ?
• Quantitative analysis of statistical data and
  trends in selected countries
• (carried out by Laudeline Auriol, OECD
  Secretariat)
• Which factors contribute to the decline ?
• Qualitative analysis of the reasons for
  the decline
• What are the possible remedies ?
• Review of solutions undertaken at national
  levels

Global Science Forum
6
Qualitative study on causes and
solutions Methodology

• Key issues identified by the Steering Committee
• An enlarged Working Group set up to carry out,
  together with a consultant, Valérie Hemmo, an
  in-depth analysis
• Two subgroups, on causes and solutions, created
  to identify
• the major factors that impact on students
  choice,
• national action plans
• remedies that have been experimented
• lessons learned and information needed
• A preliminary integrative analysis, linking
  quantitative data, causes and solutions, will be
  presented for discussion at a conference on
  November 2005, in Amsterdam

Global Science Forum
7
Qualitative study on causes and solutions

• Key issues identified by the Steering Committee
• Image of science and scientists
• Science and technology careers
• Science education and curricula
• Teacher training, qualification and development
• Issues related to gender and ethnic/cultural
  minorities

Global Science Forum
8
The general context

• New / emerging factors (from mid 90s)
  
• In society
• Overall expansion of tertiary education
• Broad diversification of possible studies
  (competition with traditional curricula)
• Fluctuations in the job market, job insecurity
• In science and technology
• Mediatisation of funding and job difficulties
• Negative developments
• Are ST going too far? (cloning, GMOs)
• ST side effects (global warming, Mad cow
  disease)

Global Science Forum
9
Special emphasis in the analysis on

• Early stages of the process
• When action may have higher and longer lasting
  impact actions on intrinsic motivations (taste
  for science) are often more efficient than on
  extrinsic motivations (job is useful, well paid)
  
• Importance of the different key orientation steps
  within the educational process
• What is local and what is global
• Identification of universal causes as well as
  cultural differences
• What is actionable
• Factors upon which governments may act effectively

Global Science Forum
10
Factors contributing to the decline (1)

• Image of science and scientists
• Young people still have a positive image of
  Science and of scientists in most countries
  (despite more cautiousness on specific issues),
  but
• The social position of scientists has weakened in
  developed countries
• Pupils have a poor knowledge of science-related
  professions
• The perception that young people have of
  scientists and technologists lifestyle is not
  attractive to them
• Media sometimes play a negative role when
  portraying science or scientists

Global Science Forum
11
Factors contributing to the decline (2)

• ST Careers
• Science-related careers remain a choice
  recommended by parents, but
• Incomes in ST careers are often perceived as too
  low relative to the amount of work and difficulty
  of the studies required
• Young people are unaware of the range of career
  opportunities opened by science studies
• Job security for ST professions has decreased
  over recent years, particularly in early stages
  of the career, in some countries with high
  unemployment rates
• The professional integration process for young
  scientists is long and difficult in academia,
  which is still perceived as the gold-standard for
  scientifically-trained students

Global Science Forum
12
Factors contributing to the decline (3)

• Science education and curricula
• In primary school, pupils often have a strong
  curiosity for science items, but courses often
  focus on knowledge and facts rather than on
  understanding. Teachers may also not be
  comfortable with science subject and with
  hands-on situations
• At lower secondary school level, pupils need to
  feel the relevance of the subject to their own
  world. This is far from being always the case,
  and what is taught is often disconnected from
  cutting edge science.
• Maths and ST are generally considered as
  difficult subjects and there seems to exist a
  general perception that it is much more difficult
  to obtain good grades in MST subjects than in
  other subjects.
• At upper secondary and tertiary levels, ST
  subjects have to compete with new, sexier,
  subjects. Furthermore, students prefer courses
  that open access to the job market at various
  stages, which is not the case for some of the ST
  traditional curricula

Global Science Forum
13
Factors contributing to the decline (4)

• Teacher training, qualification and development
• In some countries, ST teachers lack initial ST
  training. That is more generally the case for
  primary education but may also be the case for
  secondary education.
• ST teacher position may be considered as less
  attractive than other professions opened for
  ST-trained people.
• Lack of adequate continuous training may have a
  stronger effect on ST as these fields change
  particularly quickly
• Some teachers lack confidence in their knowledge
  of ST which can impair their ability to teach
  those subjects

Global Science Forum
14
Factors contributing to the decline (5)

• Gender and minorities issues
• Female students, as well as students from various
  cultural or ethnical minorities, often suffer
  from stereotypes in relation to external
  (parents, teacher, society) expectations, which
  do not favour ST studies
• Female or minorities students lack role models
  (famous scientists, family members etc) to which
  they can identify
• ST careers are often perceived by girls as
  incompatible with a harmonious family life
• ST students from minorities are culturally
  isolated in schools (they lack peer groups to
  integrate) and can be victimised by their own
  negative perception of hard work and scientific
  achievement

Global Science Forum
15
What young peoples say about their choice

• Attitude towards science remains positive but
  interest in learning about science is usually
  less important in developed countries compared to
  developing countries
• Tertiary studies and future careers are often
  based upon their perceived interest
  (passion/pleasure factor) by secondary school
  students (hence the importance of intrinsic
  motivation)
• Young peoples vision of ST professionals is
  stereotyped, but actually meeting professionals
  can have a strong impact on career choices
• Poor opinions towards science studies (and
  dropping out) are often linked to negative
  pedagogical experience

Global Science Forum
16
What young peoples say about their choice
SAS study, Svein Sjøberg, 2002
Global Science Forum
17
What young peoples say about their choice
CCSTI study, France, 2004
Global Science Forum
18
What young peoples say about their choice
SAS study, Svein Sjøberg, 2002
Global Science Forum
19
What young peoples say about their choice
ROSE study, Svein Sjøberg, 2004
Global Science Forum
20
What young peoples say about their choice
SAS study, Svein Sjøberg, 2002
Global Science Forum
21
Remedies Learning from experiences

• Targeted actions
• Initiatives to increase students interest for
  ST studies can be classified as follows
• Communication (information about science
  scientists, ST careers, educational
  opportunities)
• Innovative pedagogical tools (hands-on
  experience, unisex classes, schools for best
  students)
• Incentives (tuition fees, grants, call for
  projects)
• Educational reforms (extra orientation year,
  curriculum content)
• Coordination, networks (teacher networks,
  sharing practical information)
• Several countries have initiated broad-spectrum
  actions, either through top-down or bottom-up
  mechanisms

Global Science Forum
22
Remedies Learning from experiences

• Actionable with rapid results (Low hanging
  fruits)
• Educational reforms Basic Year (Sweden)
• Incentive ST Tertiary education for adults
  (Sweden)
• Long term efforts
• Communication cienca viva centres (Portugal)
• Pedagogical innovations la main à la pâte
  (France)
• Networks Sinus (Germany)

Global Science Forum
23
Remedies limits and further needs

• Many initiatives are never evaluated
• Many initiatives are on small scales, difficult
  to extrapolate
• Current initiatives are often too recent to be
  analysed
• Multifactorial initiatives make evaluation more
  complex (what is effectively working)
• There is a need for common evaluation tools to
  assess the impact of initiatives (on students
  enrolment, students interest for ST etc)

Global Science Forum
24
Concluding conference

• A two-day conference, on November 14-15, 2005 in
  Amsterdam
• About 300 participants expected
• By invitation only
• Science / Education policy representatives,
  International organisations representatives
• Will include participants from companies, NGOs,
  students associations, experts, journalists

Global Science Forum
25
Concluding conference

• First day
• Opening session (3 keynote speakers to highlight
  the issue)
• Quantitative assessment presentation of results
• 5 parallel working sessions will tackle the
  various factors and remedies, and identify
  potential recommendations
• Second day
• Policy implications of the proposed solutions
• Synthesis of the recommendations and proposed
  action plan
• Closing session (keynote speaker to explore
  possible governmental actions based on the
  findings)

Global Science Forum
26
OUTCOME

• The outcome will be a concise policy-level
  report, accompanied by extensive statistical
  data. It will be of wide interest to the
  education and science policy communities.
• The report is expected in the first semester of
  2006

Global Science Forum