Students’ Perceptions of Skills Expectations in Science-Related Careers
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.46328/ijses.6843Keywords:
Competencies, Secondary school, Science career awareness, Career counsellingAbstract
Secondary school students show limited socialization, interest and awareness in science careers. This study explores the students’ perceptions of essential working life skills in science-related careers. Data were collected from 144 students through questionnaires and self-created job advertisements and applications and analysed with content analysis. Adopting a sociological lens, we interpret students’ perceptions as identity work shaped by school, counselling, and local labour-market discourses. Results reveal that students perceive the most important skills in science-related careers to be Ways of working and Ways of thinking such as being careful, curious and precision. While students emphasized formal education and field experience in job ads, their understanding of required qualifications varied, with many applications showing over- or under-qualification. These mismatches suggest partial and status-oriented understandings of vocational pathways. We discuss implications for equitable guidance, teacher–counsellor collaboration, and context-rich career-related instruction in science education. To promote career awareness and interest in science, students need broader, more realistic information about science professions, which can be supported through interaction with professionals, but also with collaboration of science teachers and counsellors.
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