WHY CHOOSE PHYSICS – IN NORWAY AND FINLAND ?

Ellen K. Henriksen; Carl Angell; Jari Lavonen; Anders Isnes

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WHY CHOOSE PHYSICS – IN NORWAY AND FINLAND ?

Title	WHY CHOOSE PHYSICS – IN NORWAY AND FINLAND ?
Publication Type	Journal Article
Year of Publication	2004
Authors	Henriksen, EK, Angell, C, Lavonen, J, Isnes, A
Journal	Journal of Baltic Science Education
Volume	3
Issue	1
Start Page	5-12
Date Published	March/2003
Type of Article	Original article
ISSN	1648-3898
Keywords	educational choices, educational policy, school physics
Abstract	Questionnaire data from Norway and Finland were compared to explore the factors that influence upper secondary school students' choice of subjects (notably physics). Results indicate that personal and emotional factors (interest, abilities), but also practical factors (entrance requirements, usefulness) are keywords for students' choice. Although both Finnish and Norwegian students claim to base their educational choice mainly on personal interest and ability, there is a tendency for Norwegians to be relatively more influenced by background and Finns to be more influenced by the educational system (teachers, entrance requirements). These differences are discussed in light of educational policy and sociological theory. Thus, our recommendations based on this small study are: · More attention should be given to educational choice guidance in secondary school – probably particularly so in Norway. Physics in particular might profit from this, and physics teachers should take an active role as "ambassadors" for their subject. · If recruitment is to be improved, physics needs to get away from the image of being difficult and work-intensive; probably also from the prevailing culture of the subject (which is likely to be even harder to change). · Finally, there is a need for more research exploring the interaction between students’ socioeconomic background, their interest and performance in various school subjects (notably physics), and their actual educational choices.
URL	http://oaji.net/articles/2016/987-1482419239.pdf
Refereed Designation	Refereed
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