by Brett Wright
The perception of science as a smart career choice is on the rise, especially among young people and women.
Can this be true? A recent editorial in The Australian newspaper ('Why is interest in science waning?' 25-6 March 1995) paints the usual gloomy picture, with much hand-wringing over Australia losing its place on the international scientific stage, and our potential 'subjugation' by the booming economies of Asia.
Interest in science is undergoing 'an alarming decline' among school students, the leader writer warns, and the problem lies in our education system.
This editorial was inspired by a new study on attitudes to science, commissioned by the Department of Industry, Science and Technology under the Science and Technology Awareness Program. Based on a telephone survey, and discussions with groups of students, women, journalists, and middle managers in business, the study compares current attitudes and understanding with a similar study in 1991.
Like all attitude surveys, it has its shortcomings in terms of interpretation but the evidence is anything but gloomy.
According to the study, the proportion of people who believe science and technology (S & T) is either a 'quite or very rewarding' career has risen from 80 to 85 per cent in three years. That suggests plenty of Australians do not think science has 'lost much of its glamour and power to inspire', as The Australian claims.
The biggest gains are among people under the age of 35 and women. Among women, those who perceive S & T as a 'very rewarding' career has jumped from 43 per cent to 51 per cent, while the corresponding figure for men has remained at 40 per cent. Female science graduates believed the 'glass ceiling' was cracking, and fewer now faced barriers to advancement.
The improvement among the young was even better. The proportion of university-age people (18-24 year olds) who believed S & T was a 'very rewarding' career climbed impressively from 34 per cent in 1991 to 53 per cent in 1994. At that rate, the booming economies of Asia might soon be doing the worrying.
In the 25-34 age group, the corresponding rise was 41 to 46 per cent. Only among the 14-17 year olds and the 35-49 year olds did the perception of science as a career decline, and then only by one and three percentage points respectively.
There were some negative findings. Reflecting their own career choices in business and their age, only 15 per cent of the middle managers thought careers in S & T were 'very rewarding'.
In the discussion groups, many year 8/9 students thought science teachers were boring and teaching aids and text-books old-fashioned. Science was a subject for 'smart kids' or 'nerds'. Nevertheless, nearly all felt science could be fun.
The most striking impressions from the school students were a lack of knowledge of Australian science (not one in all the discussions mentioned an Australian scientist), and a 'very limited knowledge' of career opportunities in science.
Some of the results were of particular interest to the chemical community. When the respondents were asked to describe what the term 'science' evoked, 17 per cent said 'chemistry or chemicals', the third most frequent answer out of 27. Only medicine and research in general did better.
The survey also rated chemistry on a par with engineering in terms of importance to Australia's future, ahead of mining technology, physics, food technology and astronomy. Medical and environmental science, both of which depend on more than a little chemistry, topped the poll.
These results ought to give chemists cause for some satisfaction, and food for thought. Chemistry appears to play a central role in forming early perceptions of science, and in maintaining the public's attitude to the value of the work scientists do.
The Program's assistant director, Ms Judy Cunningham, said the study reinforced the importance of addressing issues in science teaching and the production of high-quality educational materials. The study has been referred to the Department of Employment, Education and Training, State education departments, and the Australian Science Teachers Association.
Meanwhile, the Science Minister, Senator Peter Cook, has established an advisory committee on science and technology awareness. The 13-member committee is made up of S & T practitioners, industry representatives, academics and journalists, including the science reporter for The Australian, Mr Julian Cribb.
Let's hope they read the study report thoroughly.
This article appeared in the May 1995 issue of Chemistry in Australia.