Recruiting chemists of the future: why do students choose to major in chemistry versus other STEM subjects? Amina Aminu, Chara Anastasiadou, Frances T Docherty School of Chemistry, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom In the last 10 or so years there has been significant effort to encourage students to continue to study science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) subjects beyond the age of 16, and to identify the factors which influence their decision to do so. Whilst these initiatives appear successful, a breakdown of which STEM subjects young people choose to study shows that there has not been an increase in uptake across all disciplines. Between 2015 and 2018 the number of students accepting places to study chemistry degrees in the UK declined by over 23% 1 , and an open letter to the government from the Royal Society of Chemistry and industry leaders has called for urgent action to promote school leavers and students to follow careers in chemistry 2 . As well as having a hugely negative impact on the UK chemical industry, worth over £50 billion a year 3 , this decline in chemistry enrollment is a global issue and is particularly critical, for example, in Nigeria, where the petroleum industry heavily relies on a skilled chemistry workforce. This study investigates the factors that motivate University of Glasgow’s students’ decision to major in chemistry or other STEM disciplines. A total of 381 students, encompassing both pre-covid (2019-2020) and post-covid (2022-2023) respondents, were surveyed using both closed and open-ended questions. The study sought to determine the underlying reasons why the majority of students are increasingly choosing other STEM disciplines over chemistry, particularly preferring biological sciences. The study also aimed to investigate if students had different views after returning to study post pandemic. The findings have practical implications for educators, policymakers, and curriculum developers in chemistry disciplines. By identifying the motivating factors behind students' choices, this research adds to the body of knowledge for developing targeted interventions and strategies to enhance student engagement, interest and retention in chemistry. References 1. https://cen.acs.org/education/undergraduate-education/British-students-decline-study-chemistry/97/i40 visited on 8th June 2023. 2. https://www.rsc.org/news-events/articles/2019/sep/open-letter-from-industry-leaders/ visited on 8th June 2023. 3. https://www.theguardian.com/education/2019/aug/31/students-shun-chemistry-degrees-university-applications-fall visited on 8th June 2023.
P01
© The Author(s), 2023
Made with FlippingBook Learn more on our blog