ABSTRACT

Relevancy, or how learners perceive science and technology (S&T) as important to their current and future lives, has grown in importance internationally. The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology of The Bahamas has stated that cultivating students’ science relevancy for all students, regardless of gender (male/female), or socioeconomic factors (SES) like location (rural/urban) or type (public/private) of K-12 schooling, is vital to national development. This study presents findings from a 2018–2019 sampling of 1105 secondary students from co-educational public and private schools in both rural and urban areas among the inhabited major and minor islands of The Bahamas to explore Bahamian students’ science interests and what factors they find attractive in careers by variables of gender and SES. Using data from four batteries of the ROSE questionnaire querying students’ science interests and attributes desirable in a future career, independent sample t-tests revealed significant differences for gender and school type in both categories. Further, item level Mann–Whitney U analyses revealed nuanced significant differences in regard to gendered science interests and desired attributes of a future career with far fewer significant differences by SES factors. This baseline of science relevancy provides insight to strategies for enhancing Bahamian students’ S&T experience.

摘要

相关性，或学习者如何看待科学和技术 (S&T) 对其当前和未来生活的重要性，在国际上变得越来越重要。巴哈马教育、科学和技术部表示，为所有学生培养学生的科学相关性，不分性别（男/女）或社会经济因素（SES），如地点（农村/城市）或类型（公共/城市）。私立）的 K-12 学校教育，对国家发展至关重要。本研究展示了 2018-2019 年对来自巴哈马主要和次要岛屿有人居住的城乡地区男女同校公立和私立学校的 1105 名中学生的抽样调查结果，以探索巴哈马学生的科学兴趣以及他们发现的因素通过性别和 SES 变量在职业中具有吸引力。使用 ROSE 问卷的四组数据，询问学生的科学兴趣和未来职业所需的属性，独立样本 t 检验揭示了这两个类别中性别和学校类型的显着差异。此外，项目级别的 Mann-Whitney U 分析揭示了在性别科学兴趣和未来职业的期望属性方面存在细微差别的显着差异，而 SES 因素的显着差异要小得多。这一科学相关性基线为增强巴哈马学生科技体验的策略提供了见解。项目级别的 Mann-Whitney U 分析揭示了在性别科学兴趣和未来职业的期望属性方面存在细微差别的显着差异，而 SES 因素的显着差异要小得多。这一科学相关性基线为增强巴哈马学生科技体验的策略提供了见解。项目级别的 Mann-Whitney U 分析揭示了在性别科学兴趣和未来职业的期望属性方面存在细微差别的显着差异，而 SES 因素的显着差异要小得多。这一科学相关性基线为增强巴哈马学生科技体验的策略提供了见解。