Student experience and interest in science : Connections and implication for further education

Students’ problems with learning science in school have been documented for a long time. Differences in student interest in and attitudes towards science due to gender and age are well documented. Fewer studies have focused on the details at a content level. This paper presents a statistical analysis of student interest in specific content areas and combines this with student experience of science and science-related activities outside school. The result shows that interest and experience are significantly linked and influence student choices for upper secondary education. The results are presented on both a detailed content and experience level, and are discussed in relation to the purpose of compulsory science education and in relation to experiences outside school. The study is an important addition to the discussion about establishing a science education curriculum that can both prepare students for future science studies and meet the need for a public understanding of science