Student choice in continuing to study high school science.

Abstract

This study implemented a quantitative approach to examine the factors that affect whether students continue to study science at the high school level. Data was collected through closed-ended surveys to answer the research questions: 1) “What factors impact a female student’s choice to continue to study science at the high school level in Saudi Arabia?” This research took place in Najran City in Saudi Arabia. The sample for this research study consisted of 148 female high school students, aged 16 to 18. Stratified sampling was appropriate for the nature of the study because it aimed to include female survey respondents. The participants in this research study were 26% first-year students, 52% second-year students, and 22% third-year students. The research instrument that was utilized was the "ROSE (The Relevance of Science Education), which is a questionnaire mostly consisting of closed questions with Likert scales" (Schreiner & Sjøberg, 2004, p. 35). After data was gathered, the responses of each participant were analyzed and given a point value based on a scale from 1 to 5. The obtained data was translated into graphs and tables in order to provide a comprehensive and easy-to-understand presentation of the data for in-depth analysis. This study concluded that the main factors that contribute to the female students' desire to continue studying science in high school are interest, attitude, and motivation. Also, it can be seen clearly that effective factors influence students' learning. Lastly, the researcher suggests recommendations for future research.