Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia

Robert H. TaiAssistant Professor of

Science Education

September 22, 2006

Planning Early for Careers in Science

Rising Above the Gathering Storm

National Research Council Report raises questions about the Unites States continuing to maintain its dominance as a world leader in science and technology

Figure 1: PhDs Awarded to US Residents

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Figure 2a: Percent of PhDs Awarded to US Residents

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Figure 2b: Percent of PhDs Awarded to Non-US Residents

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What role does K-8 education have on national science

education policy?

Preparing the scientists of the future

What kind of work do you expect to be doing when you are 30 years old? (MARK THE ANSWER

THAT COMES CLOSEST TO WHAT YOU EXPECT TO BE DOING. IF YOU HAVE TWO OR THREE THINGS YOU THINK YOU MAY BE DOING, DO NOT CHOOSE MORE THAN ONE

ANSWER. INSTEAD, MAKE ONE BEST GUESS.)

What do you want to be when you grow up?

How important are students’ answers to this question?

How early in their lives do their answers have a lasting impact?

How could we find out the answers to these questions?

Collect a nationally representative sample of

thousands of students

Follow these students from middle school through college,

allowing a reasonable amount of time to earn college degrees

Account for students academic and personal

backgrounds including their parents’ backgrounds

Distinguish between Life Sciences

and Physical Sciences

Figure 1: Probabilities of Two Groups of 8th Graders in Earning a Baccalaureate Degree in Life Science

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Eighth Grade Mathematics Achievement (IRT-Scaled)

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Did not expectscience-relatedfuture career

In the Life Sciences …Standardized mathematics achievement scores in 8th grade are NOT significant predictors of college degree concentrations in science

Figure 2: Probabilities of Two Groups of 8th Graders in Earning a Baccalaureate Degree in Physical Science

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Eighth Grade Mathematics Achievement (IRT-Scaled)

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arni

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acca

laur

eate

Expectedscience-relatedfuture career

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With average achievement

With above average achievementWith highest achievement

In the Physical Sciences …Standardized mathematics achievement scores in 8th grade ARE significant predictors of college degree concentrations in science, but …

Average achievers are more likely to earn degrees in physical science than the highest achievers when 8th grade career expectations are considered

Conclusions• Students’ future career aspirations in 8th

grade are a significant predictor of their likelihood to earn baccalaureate degrees in science-related fields

• Academic achievement is NOT as consistently significant as 8th grade career aspirations in predicting science – related college degree concentrations