Students' Views of Science: A Comparison between Tertiary and Secondary School Students

There is relatively little research evidence that documents current students' views of science--particularly a comparison of secondary and tertiary science. Further, little is known about how students' views of science differ according to level of study. This study provides evidence of students' view of science from both school and university students. The study uses a qualitative approach to examine how the views of secondary and tertiary students may be influenced by factors such as motivation, interest and career aspirations. Forty Australian students from a high school and a university completed an open-ended questionnaire to capture their view of science. The questionnaire results suggested that whilst the majority of students viewed science positively, with female students being more positive than males, their interest declined as they progressed to tertiary education. (Contains 2 tables.)