Science aspirations and career choice: Age 10-14

There is now considerable evidence that children's attitudes to school science in the UK begin to decline from year age 10 onwards. Moreover, by age 14, the majority of students have broadly determined their future career path. Using a 5-year longitudinal study, with a random stratified cohort of 6000 children from the age of 10 to 14, and a subset of 60 students for a detailed qualitative study, the following three questions will be explored: How are student educational and occupational aspirations formed over time?How are these aspirations influenced by their peers, parents and their experience of school science? How are these aspirations shaped by their gender, class and ethnic identities? An additional hypothesis is that students are choosing not to study science because they are ill-informed at the initial point of subject choice (age 14) of the careers offered, both in science and from science, by the study of science and mathematics.Therefore, a research-informed intervention will be developed, in collaboration with teachers and external experts, to teach about science-based careers in KS3. Its effect on career aspirations will be studied and evaluated using data draw from lesson observations and from students.