Examining Relationships Between Factors of Science Education and Student Career Aspiration

• Published in: The Journal of educational research (Washington, D.C.) Vol. 94; no. 5; pp. 312 - 319
• Main Authors: Wang, Jianjun, Staver, John R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC Taylor & Francis Group 01.05.2001; Heldref Publications; Taylor & Francis Inc
• Subjects: Academic Achievement; Aspiration; Biological and medical sciences; Career Choice; Career Planning; Careers; Child development; Councils; Educational psychology; Educational research; Employment; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Grade 10; High School Graduates; High school students; High schools; Learning; Literacy; Longitudinal studies; Longitudinal Study of American Youth; Mathematics; Mathematics Education; Noncollege Bound Students; Outcomes of Education; Productivity; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Pupil and student. Academic achievement and failure; Questionnaires; Researchers; School to work transition; Science Education; Secondary Education; Secondary School Science; Secondary schools; Social sciences; structural equation model; student career aspiration; Students; Teaching; Variables; New York; California; Bakersfield California; United States > US; Human; Structural equation modeling; Sciences; Adolescent; Young adult; Aspiration level; Expectation; Career; Teaching
• ISSN: 0022-0671; 1940-0675
• DOI: 10.1080/00220670109598767

Student career aspiration has been identified as the most important variable influencing students' later work experiences. The authors attempted to disentangle relationships among factors that influence career aspiration within a science education context. Guided by Walberg's (1981) educational productivity theory, factors of science education have been identified from a National Science Foundation project, the Longitudinal Study of American Youth. Career aspirations are represented by 2 indicators: expected jobs in the future and job demands on science literacy. Positive links were found between student career aspiration and several variables of science education, including educational outcomes, instructional quantity, and home environment. Implications of the results have been discussed to facilitate development of career aspiration among non-college-bound students.