90% seminar: Pupils' attitudes towards science
At this 90% seminar, PhD student Noor Alhaj Ibrahem will present her research on how students in grade 9 view science in school and what significance the subject has in their everyday lives and for their future.
Time: 3 November 13-16
Location: Campus Sundsvall, room M210 or digitally via Zoom
Reader: Professor Shu-Nu Chang Rundgren, Stockholm University
Abstract
Grade 9 Students’ Attitudes Toward School Science: Interest, Relevance, Future Possibilities, and Trust in Science
How do Grade 9 students perceive school science, and what makes it interesting and meaningful to them? This doctoral thesis investigates students’ attitudes toward school science, focusing on their interest, perceived relevance to everyday life, future possibilities, and trust in science.
The thesis draws on four studies conducted in Sweden and the United Arab Emirates. Using a mixed-methods approach that combines questionnaires, students’ written responses, and focus group interviews, the research examines how students evaluate school science and its significance for their present lives and possible futures.
The findings reveal that students’ attitudes toward science are multifaceted. Perceived relevance to everyday life is clearly associated with reported interest in school science. Students may recognise the importance of science for future educational and career opportunities without personally aspiring to STEM careers. The findings also demonstrate that trust in science does not necessarily correspond to strong interest in school science. Students’ experiences with teaching and their perceived difficulties are also important.
The thesis contributes to a more nuanced understanding of how interest, relevance, future possibilities, and trust coexist in students’ relationships with science. It highlights the importance of understanding what makes science meaningful to students, both in their present lives and in relation to their futures.