The influence of family and (non)formal education on students' aspirations in science Cover Image

Vplyv rodiny a neformálneho vzdelávania na ašpirácie žiakov vo vede
The influence of family and (non)formal education on students' aspirations in science

Author(s): Žaneta Staníková
Subject(s): Educational Psychology, Social psychology and group interaction, Sociology of Education
Published by: Slovenská pedagogická spoločnosť pri SAV
Keywords: non-formal education; aspirations in science; family influence;

Summary/Abstract: The ever-decreasing number of students interested in science and technology in higher education and subsequently in work has been the subject of research for many years. The aim of the study was to examine the impact of the family environment, teacher intervention and the importance of non-formal education on the scientific aspirations of lower secondary students in Slovakia. By analysing the answers of 175 respondents using an online questionnaire, we found that students are aware of the usefulness and importance of science in everyday life and the factors of family environment and non-formal education are related to their future scientific aspirations. Students who knew someone involved in science were more likely to converse about science, and the frequency of aspirations for the scientific profession was also higher among these students. Regardless of student’s scientific ambitions, students agreed in the ranking of non-formal education institutions - the most visited are zoological and botanical gardens and the least visited are science clubs.

  • Issue Year: 2021
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 85-96
  • Page Count: 12
  • Language: Slovak