New Perspectives in Science Education

Edition 13

Accepted Abstracts

UAE Students’ Value for Learning Science for their Future Careers

Martina Dickson, Emirates College for Advanced Education (United Arab Emirates)

Dean Cairns, Emirates College for Advanced Education (United Arab Emirates)

Abstract

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been undergoing rapid societal transformation since the exporting of oil in the early 1960s. As the reservoirs of oil have begun to dwindle, ambitious plans have been unfolded to increasingly diversify the country’s economy into key sectors other than oil, such as education and the development of a Knowledge Economy. The UAE National Vision for 2021 strongly emphasises STEM knowledge and expertise among its national citizens in order to drive future industry and technological innovations. In the near future, having a large pool of motivated and qualified nationals will be critical in realising these ambitions, and having both female and male citizens involved is crucial. This study sought to explore 15 year old girls’ and boys’ ideas about their value for learning science in their future careers, and the relationship between science achievement, enjoyment and self-efficacy and this value. The study data were drawn from the science literacy section of the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2015 database. Student data from 157 UAE public schools was used. It was found that students’ science achievement was positively associated with their value for science in their future careers, particularly for females. Additionally, science enjoyment and self-efficacy were significantly positively associated with students’ value for learning science for their future careers for both males and females. The implications of this for the UAE are discussed.

Keywords: Science enjoyment; self-efficacy; PISA; careers; UAE;

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