Ideas For Promoting Science as a Career Choice for Young People
Science is a fascinating subject and it has something to offer everyone. Science encompasses so many fields that it could be considered a bit of a stretch to describe it as a subject, rather it is a mass of interconnected subjects. One of the most important ways to promote science careers is to ensure that young people understand their options in science. Students need to understand how science is interconnected so that they can appreciate it holistically, but they also need to see the divisions. Everyone has different likes and dislikes and we need to cater to that. I might love organic chemistry and hate physics, science educators need to ensure that young people understand that they don’t need to love all of science to find fulfilment in a career in science. They need to make learners realise that higher levels of education will entail greater specialisation allowing them to focus on the things they enjoy.
Young people need to be given more information about career possibilities in the field of science. At present it is very difficult for young people to pin-point what it is that scientists do. Many of them imagine scientists as people stuck in laboratories day in day out doing random experiments. This is not an accurate picture, especially when considering the diversity of career opportunities in the sciences. Students need to realise that there are possibilities for people who like working indoors or outdoors, with animals, with chemicals, with machines, with people, with numbers or with theories. There is even potential for young people with an interest in science who wish to focus on the management side of things. Perhaps these careers can be introduced to students through a series of career day type presentations by professionals, or if this is not possible through oral presentations where each student is given a different career to investigate.
The final method, and what I feel is the most important idea to promote science careers as a career choice for young people is to make the science education that they receive relevant, interesting and exciting. This is best achieved through practical, real life work. Use the theories, laws and methods learnt about in classes in real life projects. Some examples could be:
- During a section on chemical nomenclature provide your students with product packaging and ask them to write out the chemical formulas of ingredients.
- While discussing the topic of evolution ask your students to write an essay hypothesising about what would happen if a certain physical trait became considered attractive all of a sudden.
- While discussing microbes ask your students to carry out a long term experiment examining the effectiveness of antiseptic cleaning products in preventing illness in their families.
- Investigate plant genetics by cross pollinating and hybridising plants.
Another way to help young people enjoy science is to teach logic. Many people expect the youth to just pick up logic as they go along, but teaching logic overtly will help them to better reason scientifically and so will help them to feel competent.
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