Trends and patterns in subject choice by science students at Sixth Form level

Abstract

Education is crucial in everyday life and it entails important choices at various stages during a student's secondary and post-secondary years. At certain stages students need to choose which subjects to study, and such decisions affect their future in terms of careers and working lives. Students are "guided" in their subject choice by certain factors, such as the drive to learn the subject, a preferred career, and the influence of parents or peers. At post-secondary level, students choose their Advanced Level (A-level) subjects, a choice which has a direct bearing on their tertiary education. This research study investigates the reasons influencing subject choice at Sixth Form level. Two groups of second-year Science students were involved namely, 243 A-level Biology and Chemistry (BC) and 116 Pure Mathematics and Physics (PMP) students. Questionnaires were the main research tool, constructed after an investigation was conducted with ten experts who were requested to list three factors influencing students in A-level subject choice. This research showed that the experts, the BC and the PMP students did not always concur on which were the most or least influential factors influencing subject choice. This study found that, according to the students, career aspirations was the most influential factor in their choice of subjects. Experts believed that career aspirations and subject difficulty were the main influences. There was no clear agreement among BC students, PMP students and experts on the least influential factors from among Secondary Education Certificate results, family and peer influence, and lack of passion towards the subjects.