Choosing Science.

This project explored university science students' career and educational plans and looked for causes of defection from science, with particular interest in possible sources of gender difference in defection rates. A survey of 164 Canadian undergraduate students in mathematics and basic sciences found that: (1) over three fourths of the students intended to stay in mathematics or science; (2) gender differences in students' choice of field were not significant, though proportionately fewer of the women who rated themselves low in ability intended to remain in the field; (3) women rated themselves as more competent in nonscience subjects than men did; (4) an equal number of students planned to go directly to a job or to continue their education full-time; (5) the most frequently cited career motivation was self-fulfillment, followed by financial rewards and nonmaterial benefits; and (6) students' attributions for success did not differ by gender. Follow-up interviews conducted with 16 students addressed the topics of peer group relationships, teacher-student relationships, and reasons for program choice. The study concluded that, although males and females did not differ in their plans to remain in math/science, a number of factors were identified that may work together to produce a higher defection rate among women than among men, such as heavy workloads, differential perceptions of ability in nonscience fields, and social networks. (Contains 21 references.) (JDD)