Maria Knobelsdorf, University of Dortmund, Germany - Didaktik der ...

• self-concept in science
• instrumental motivation
• interest in studying science
They analyzed within the framework of PISA 2006 to what
extent the mentioned characteristics are associated with professional
orientation. Analyzing questionnaires filled out by
about 7000 grade 9 students they came to primarily the following
conclusions:
36.6% of the young people answering the question on their
professional expectation, expect to pursue a STEM job at
age 30 (see [21], 90). In comparison with young people not
wanting to enter a STEM profession as adults these students
can be described as having a higher self-concept in
science, stronger instrumental motivation and greater interest
in studying science. The expected higher degree of scientific
and mathematical literacy, however, can only be found
in the partial sample of graduate professional expectation.
The girls’ self-concept in science is lower than the boys’.
Furthermore those girls with a graduate STEM professional
expectation are characterized by a lower mathematical and
scientific literacy as well as a lower interest in science than
the boys. These results correspond with the findings of numerous
other studies. In addition these girls also have a
lower scientific competence than the boys. The instrumental
motivation of girls with non-graduate STEM professional
expectation is significantly higher than that of the boys (see
[21], 95).
There are correlations between the investigated students’
characteristics (scientific and mathematical literacy, self-concept
in science, instrumental motivation and interest in studying
science).
In several analyses of STEM-professional groups the correlations
between the investigated students’ characteristics
differ according to the examined professional group. In some
professional groups a correlation between students’ characteristics
and their professional expectations could not be
observed. The results of the analyses show that the professional
expectations of the students can only partially be
explained by the theoretically deduced influencing factors of
the students’ choice of career.
Consequently, professional choice must be considered as
an interplay of numerous factors additionally influenced by
gender-specific mechanisms. The results are explained in
detail by Taskinen, Asseburg and Walter in ([21], 90-103).
According to them, instrumental motivation and interest
can, among other things, affect young people’s vocational
orientation. In order to positively influence these students’
characteristics teaching must be aware of the importance of
certain conditions of the learning environment.
2.2 Influence on students’ motivation and interest
in learning
Prenzel et al. [17] explore the question to what extent the
conditions of the learning environment, as perceived by the
trainees, can assist or interfere with the development of selfdetermined
motivation and interest. This question, along
with some others, is researched in a longitudinal study which
accompanied a small group of trainees (office administrators)
in their training. Influencing factors which according
to the state of research have a positive influence on the variants
of self-determined motivation are assigned to six sets of
theoretical conditions ([17], 111):
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• Contextual relevance of the learning material (e.g. references
to applicability; relevance in real life; interdisciplinary
approach)
• Quality of instruction (e.g. precise structure; intelligibility)
• Communicated interest of the lecturer (e.g. commitment;
enthusiasm)
• Social integration (e.g. cooperative style of working;
friendly learning environment)
• Support of competence (e.g. direct, pertinent and
helpful feedback; individual reference standard)
• Support of autonomy (e.g. offer of alternatives; scope
to experiment; support in exploring, planning, acting,
learning independently)
These factors are also taken into account by Parchmann et
al. ([16], 17) in the ChiK project (see also below, section
2.4).
The trainees are questioned at intervals of about two months
on that particular phase of their training and on the
actual last day of that particular phase. The study gives an
account of the results of the first ten months (five measuring
points). There are 18 complete data sets (see [17], 111f).
The theoretically justified assumption that there are systematic
connections between the conditions relevant for motivation
and the variants of learning motivation are confirmed
by the findings (see [17], 124).
Take, for example, the variation of the motivation “interested”
1 . It indicates that the six supportive conditions are
positively correlated with this variation at the 0,01 level of
significance. The highest correlation exists with the contextual
relevance and the support of autonomy (the value of
the coefficient of correlation r = 0.62) (see [17], 118).
2.3 Influence on students’ plans to take CIT
Downes und Looker ([5], 179) explore the following factors
that influence the participation rate in computer and
information technology (CIT) subjects in senior secondary
schools:
• gender
• parental education
• access to and use of computers at home and at school
• self-perceived ability in nine different IT home-related
tasks
• self-perceived ability in CIT subjects in school
• attitudes towards CIT subjects and other school subjects
(Mathematics and English) and schooling in general
from which measures of “value” were constructed
1 Apart from the factual incentive, the personal and general
importance of the topic makes the student work hard to try
and understand. Interested learning also means that the
student wants to find out more about the topic and wants
to study it (see [17], 109f).