Exploring science relevancy by gender and SES in The Bahamas: secondary Bahamian students' interests in science and attractive attributes of future careers

Abstract

Relevancy, or how learners perceive science and technology (S&T) as important to their current and future lives, has grown in importance internationally. The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology of The Bahamas has stated that cultivating students’ science relevancy for all students, regardless of gender (male/female), or socioeconomic factors (SES) like location (rural/urban) or type (public/private) of K-12 schooling, is vital to national development. This study presents findings from a 2018–2019 sampling of 1105 secondary students from co-educational public and private schools in both rural and urban areas among the inhabited major and minor islands of The Bahamas to explore Bahamian students’ science interests and what factors they find attractive in careers by variables of gender and SES. Using data from four batteries of the ROSE questionnaire querying students’ science interests and attributes desirable in a future career, independent sample t-tests revealed significant differences for gender and school type in both categories. Further, item level Mann–Whitney U analyses revealed nuanced significant differences in regard to gendered science interests and desired attributes of a future career with far fewer significant differences by SES factors. This baseline of science relevancy provides insight to strategies for enhancing Bahamian students’ S&T experience.