How to improve students’ motivation in learning science at school is a challenge most teachers face in their daily lives. A recent PhD dissertation at the University of Helsinki shows that industry site visits can help improve students’ motivation and engage them in STEM subjects.
Many STEM teachers consider the lack motivation a major factor in the low popularity of their subjects. This is a familiar complaint in physics and chemistry classes where motivation van vary significantly between individuals.
Researcher Anni Loukomies at the University of Helsinki sought solutions to this problem in her PhD studies. According to her results industry site visits can help boost motivation and interest in learning science at school.
Loukomies studied how an inquiry-based site visit teaching sequence affected the students’ motivation. She collaborated with STEM teachers to research and design a teaching sequence focusing on industry site visits. The unit combined inquiry activities, industry site visits, expert interviews and writing tasks.
Enhanced motivation in science through relevant real life applications
Loukomies gathered survey and interview data from students aged 14-15 participating in the study. The designed teaching sequence was tested in several middle schools in Helsinki Finland and, in the final phase, in Greece. According to the results the teaching sequence had the potential to promote motivation in school science by enhancing the students’ feeling of relevance of their science studies.
The study provides useful information to teachers on how to differentiate teaching according to varying motivational profiles and different needs in the classroom. In unmotivated students discovering real life industrial applications and solutions played a significant role in creating motivation. On the other hand students who started with a higher level of motivation felt that the teaching sequence further supported their interest and strengthened their planning and decision making skills.
“Students can be critical about studying sciences if they are unclear about the purpose of the studies,” Loukomies said. “Some of the unmotivated students were in fact interested in science, but did not care much for studying in school.” In these students especially connecting school science to real life and industrial applications or emphasizing career or work aspects is a good way to improve motivation.
Loukomies, who is a science teacher herself, believes the key to engagement in STEM subjects could be found through embracing the world outside school.
“In addition industry site visits could support motivation through providing interesting role models in different sciences. Diverse role models would be essential in getting rid of stereotypical views of scientists and researchers.”
Read Anni Loukomies’ PhD dissertation online: Loukomies, Anni (2013) Enhancing Students’ Motivation towards School Science with an Inquiry-Based Site Visit Teaching Sequence: A Design-Based Research Approach
Text: Maija Pollari. Photo: Sakari Tolppanen.
