Science Classes – What Teens Want!
I just read a study sponsored by the Amgen Foundation and Change The Equation entitled ‘Students on STEM’. The study summarizes teens’ attitudes and opinions regarding science (using data gathered from over 1,500 online surveys conducted with 14 to 18 year old students).
I found the survey findings insightful and felt they were worth sharing with those of you that teach science, select science curriculum, or have teens taking science classes. Here are the highlights:
- 81% of teens are interested in science and 86% feel it has a lot of real-world applications yet teens rate their science courses below other courses.
- Teens feel the following three items would make science classes, such as biology, more interesting: hands-on lab experiments, field trips, and projects related to the use of biology in real-life.
- Teens would like more exposure to real-life science careers and professionals. For example 86% of teens said they would find it helpful to have more classes related to careers yet only 30% have such an opportunity. And 83% would like job shadowing opportunities but only 19% said they have access to such opportunities. The access numbers are even worse when considering low-income students.
Such data is helpful in deciding how to structure classes and experiences for your students. It also highlights that solutions such as Couragion can be helpful in making real-life careers and professionals more accessible to all students.
How can you help make science more engaging for your students? To learn more, read the entire ‘Students on STEM’ study here.