Database of Publications

MOTIVAçãO DOS JOVENS PORTUGUESES PARA A FORMAçãO SUPERIOR EM CIêNCIAS E EM TECNOLOGIA
(MOTIVATION OF PORTUGUESE YOUTH TO STUDY SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN HIGHER EDUCATION)

Lígia Mexia Leitão, Maria Paula Paixão and José Tomás da Silva

Conselho Nacional de Educação

2007

Portuguese

Report

School Directors, Researchers, Teachers, Policy Makers

Over 10 pages

This study highlights the Professional and Educational Orientation role as strategic for promoting an increase in the number of students following a career in the science and technology areas.
The decreasing number of students pursuing a career in science and technological areas and the low scientific literacy of students were some of the factors that motivated this work. This report provides information on the motivations (interests, expectations, valences and perceived support nets), from the individual and contextual point of views, that are associated or condition the choices of scientific and technological careers.
Two questionnaires were conducted at national level, one to 1000 students from the 1st year of science and engineering courses of several Universities and Polytechnics and, another, to 600 students enrolled in the last two years of the secondary school (11th and 12th years).
The first part of both questionnaires deal with biographical data collection (gender, age, education and academic qualifications of parents).
Secondary school students also provide information about their current year of studies (11th or 12th); their final grades in the subjects related to Biology, Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics; the course they expect to attend; the profession they would like to follow
And, university students inform about the following topics: the course they are enrolled in; the order of choice of their course (in case it was not their first option, they should indicate their course of preference); the degree of satisfaction with their current course; their expectations to conclude the course they are attending to; the profession they would consider to follow more seriously in the future.
The second part of the questionnaire includes two scales to evaluate the cognitive and affective relation of students with the subject Mathematics. The first evaluates the instrumentality of Mathematics to accomplish future life objectives. Examples are: “I will need Math in my future work”; “Math is a valuable and necessary subject”; “I have only chosen Math because it is compulsory”; “Studying Math is a waste of time”.
The third part of the questionnaire intends to evaluate the students’ degree of confidence relative to their capacities to become a successful worker in several professions (e.g. Biologist; Accountant; Musician; Mechanic; Sales Manager; Social Assistant); their expectations of results in several types of careers; their interest in the careers; and, their objectives or career intentions.
The final part of the questionnaire aims to evaluate the contextual support and barriers perceived by the students if they would choose certain professions.
The main conclusions are:
- The importance of the performance of students on the Mathematics subject at secondary level, not only for the choice of courses in the areas of science and technology, but also for the degree of satisfaction felt during their attendance.
- The fundamental importance of the instrumentality given to Mathematics for the accomplishment of future life objectives in the election of S&T courses.
The authors of the study also emphasize the role of a consistent and continued vocational orientation for a better alignment of school subjects with the career objectives that are defined by students along their basic and secondary studies. In that aspect, the use of information and communication technologies can be important as the vocational profile of these students is essentially directed to the analysis of objective things and data.

This study was developed by a group of researchers from the Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences of the University of Coimbra, in Portugal. It gives a different perspective of the subject "Students' motivation tu study Science", from the point of view of Professional and Educational Orientation.
One of the main conclusions of this study is the importance of Mathematics for the choice of courses in the areas of science and technology, including, of course, Chemistry related careers.
Another important aspect is the role of a capable vocational orientation for a better match between school subjects and career objectives that students elaborate during their basic and secondary studies.

Instituto Politécnico de Bragança