Research Interests

Sub-questions:
a) which students are not continuing in science past grade 10?
b) what factors are stopping students in inner city schools from continuing science?
c) what can be done to increase the value of science to these students?
d) what can teachers do to engage students in science and get them to pursue further science studies?

The purpose of this study is to determine factors which influence students in grade 10 to stop taking science courses after the mandatory sciences. The interviews will be administered to 10 boys from different inner city schools from the TDSB. Boys were chosen due to the major differences in gender in the science field between males and females. I am focusing on only males for this study. Once students are questioned the factors they believe that are holding them back from pursuing science will be revealed. That information can be worked with to propose new teaching strategies to engage students in science. The benefit is to the student as giving them more science knowledge can lead to higher paying jobs, better understanding of health issues and the world around them. Many of the new jobs will require some science /technology. Not to mention so many advertisements and commercial items use pseudo science to sell products claiming to be proven by science. This is also dangerous with miracle cures and diets that often do more harm than good for the person. The term science for all has been a big movement where the lower grade sciences are not to train chemists but to prepare everyone with enough science base that they can take it to many different levels post-secondary. Without this aspect and tailoring all lessons even at a young age the students are not really receiving science for all. I propose this is why many students lose interest and do not continue in science.