Science capital or STEM capital? Exploring relationships between science capital and technology, engineering, and maths aspirations and attitudes among young people aged 17/18

Abstract

We previously proposed that science capital (science‐related forms of cultural and social capital) can be used as a theoretical lens for explaining the patterned nature of aspirations and educational participation among young people aged 11–16. Building on these findings, the present article investigates whether science capital is related to post‐18 aspirations to pursue further STEM study and whether science capital can be extended to related disciplines including engineering, maths and technology. Specifically, we report on correlational analyses exploring the relationships between science, technology, engineering and maths attitudes and science capital. Drawing on data from a new survey of 7,013 17/18 year old English secondary school students, analyses showed that science capital, while strongly related to engineering and physical science future study aspirations, was not strongly related to the pursuit of either maths or technology postsecondary study. The findings also suggest that engineering and maths attitudes have a stronger relationship to science capital than attitudes relating to technology. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of these findings and propose that science capital might be more usefully applied to “SEM,” with links to technology fields and aspirations needing further exploration.

Transforming school students' aspirations into destinations through extended interaction with cutting-edge research: Physics Research in School Environments

“…DeWitt et al 2019Understand usefulness of physics Moote et al (2020) Moote et al 2019School environments support students' science capital IOP (2014) Raised profile of science in school IOP 2014Build long-term university-school relationships Figure 1. The Theory of Change for PRiSE.…”

“…While the number of students working on PRiSE may be relatively small, by influencing teachers through our sustained programme, the aim is that the impacts of PRiSE can be felt much wider. Indeed, our hope is to affect the environments within the diverse range of schools we work with on the programme so that they are places that are able to support and nurture the science capital (L. Archer et al, 2013Archer et al, , 2020b of all their students, thereby also contributing to our goal of increased uptake and diversity of physics (Moote et al, 2019(Moote et al, , 2020. IOP (2014) recommends to help achieve such an environment that schools should raise the overall profile of science in school, endeavour to build long-term relationships between pupils and role models, and ensure all teachers are aware of the influence they can have on children's future careers.…”

<i>Thanks for helping me find my enthusiasm for physics!</i> The lasting impacts research in schools projects can have on students, teachers, and schools

“…degree (Hamlyn et al, 2020). Furthermore, science aspirations are highly correlated to 'science capital' and begin to form at an early age (Moote et al, 2020). Therefore, it is not surprising that PRiSE students' likelihood of wanting to continue with STEM was high beforehand.…”

Effectiveness Evaluation of “Five Chain” Integration of State Grid Corporation of China Based on TOPSIS Method

“…In order to adapt to the requirements of strategic objectives as soon as possible, the company's scientific and technological innovation needs to take "Chinese characteristics, international leading" as the goal pursuit, and optimize the scientific and technological innovation system as the focus, and continuously improve the company's scientific and technological innovation level. Talent, capital and technology have always been the core elements of enterprise innovation [1]. To carry out the research on the evaluation index system of integration effect of "innovation chain, talent chain, technology chain, capital chain and value chain" (hereinafter referred to as "five chains") in the new era [2][3], is a solid foundation and support for promoting the efficient allocation of scientific and technological innovation resources and the optimization and improvement of scientific and technological innovation system [4].…”