Abstract

Contributed Talk - Splinter Education   (ESO Supernova)

A comparative study of factors motivating Astronomy and Physics university students

Cormac Larkin, May Lee
ESO Garching, Maastricht University

The underrepresentation of female students in university physics courses is a long-studied issue in many countries. Public data from the US, UK and The Netherlands indicate that when physics and astronomy are both offered at a university, astronomy tends to enrol up to 50% more female students. Many previous studies show strong gendered motivation differences for physics students, yet comparable studies for astronomy students are sparse. To explore this enrolment trend, we conducted a pilot comparative study exploring how and why astronomy and physics students at a large Dutch university chose their study programs. Identifying and understanding motivational factors, and if/how these may differ per study program, gender, and other variables of interest can help inform future efforts to improve equity. Hinweis: Falls ich ausgewählt werde, halte ich meinen Vortrag auf Englisch, kann aber meine Folien auf Deutsch bereitstellen, um dem Publikum zu helfen.