SCIENCE suits shy people. A Dutch study has found that introverted students are more likely to choose science subjects at school, while more sociable peers tend to drop them at the first opportunity 鈥� regardless of their natural ability. The study raises the question: should teachers encourage students to choose subjects that 鈥渇it鈥� their personality or to break out of the mould?
Education researcher and her colleagues at the University of Groningen used data from a study which followed thousands of Dutch students throughout their education and included personality tests.
Korpershoek analysed data from nearly 4000 students and found that their subject choices at age 15 were affected by personality. Students who chose science subjects tended to be less extroverted than those who chose non-science subjects. They also scored more highly on conscientiousness and emotional stability ().
Advertisement
The result remained significant even after controlling for the effects of mathematical ability and gender.
This is the first study to investigate how personality differences affect students鈥� subject choices, according to Korpershoek.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a feeling that science students have nerdy characteristics,鈥� she says, 鈥渂ut we were surprised to see it in our results, and to see it as early as age 15.鈥�
She reckons schools could do more to help students to choose subjects that match their personalities. While she says it would be premature to guide students based on personality tests, she argues that teachers should focus not just on a subject鈥檚 content but on the type of job it would lead to. For example if someone鈥檚 talent is being tidy, orderly and precise, then they might enjoy working in a lab.
, professor of science education at the Institute of Education in London, counters that science teachers should try to attract a broader range of students. 鈥淚t would be a disaster if the advice 鈥榶ou should only do physics if you are introverted鈥� was given in schools,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e want all students, whatever their personality, to find things within science that intrigue and excite them.鈥�
聯It would be a disaster if you were told you should only do physics if you are introverted聰
