School students demonstrate a lack of interest in choosing science studies and science-related careers. To better understand the underlying reasons, this study aims to examine secondary school students’ perceptions of working life skills and how these perceptions relate to the skills of the twenty-first century. The participants in this study were 144 Finnish 7th graders (aged 13–14 years). Using a questionnaire and qualitative content analysis, we examined their perceptions of working life skills in ‘careers in science’ and ‘careers with science’. Results reveal that although students have a great deal of knowledge about working life skills, it is often just stereotyped. Sector-specific knowledge and skills were highlighted in particular but skills related to society, organisation, time and higher order thinking, were often omitted. Results also indicate that students do not associate ‘careers in science’ with creativity, innovation, collaboration or technology and ICT skills. Conversely, according to the students, these careers demand more sector-specific knowledge and responsibility than ‘careers with science’. We conclude that students need more wide-ranging information about scientific careers and the competencies demanded; such information can be acquired by e.g. interacting with professionals and their real working life problems.

The aim of this study was to investigate how career-related instruction implemented in secondary school chemistry education concerning water issues influences students’ career awareness and their interest towards science learning. This case study is part of a larger design-based research study for the EU-MultiCO project, which focuses on promoting students’ scientific career awareness and attractiveness by introducing them to career-based scenarios at the beginning of the instruction unit. The participants in this study were three eighth-grade classes with 46 students in total, and 2 science teachers. Data consisted of observations throughout the intervention and a questionnaire which the students took afterwards. Descriptive statistics taken from the questionnaire were used together with the content analysis of open questions and observation notes. The results reveal that the students acquired knowledge about science, science-related careers and working life skills and that they enjoyed studying chemistry and engaged in learning during the intervention. The students recognized the need for professionals and their responsibilities as well as the importance of water-related issues as global and local problems, but these issues were not personally important or valuable to students. The type of career-related instruction discussed in this paper can give guidelines for how to develop teaching to promote students’ science career awareness, trigger students’ interest and engage them in science learning.

The article introduces a science education intervention using life-cycle analysis of consumer products. The intervention aims to promote lower secondary school students’ science career awareness and interest toward science studies. In this study, two lower secondary school teachers planned an intervention on life-cycle analysis, which aimed to be relevant for the students from an individual, societal, and vocational perspective. The study then examined how students perceived the relevance of the intervention, based on classroom observations, students’ life-cycle presentations, questionnaire responses, as well as interviews. The findings indicate that students found life-cycle assessment to be a relevant topic both from an individual and societal perspective. However, findings on vocational relevance were two-fold, as students gained knowledge on different occupations, but this did not seem to directly affect their future career aspirations.

Teachers encounter the challenge of how to provide students adequate awareness of science-related careers. Therefore, innovative teaching material for promoting science-related careers needs to be designed. Educational innovations can be successful if teachers experience ownership and agency towards the designed teaching material. In this case study, a multi-professional group of two science teachers, a researcher, and a dentist co-designed instruction including a career presentation and relevant information about field-specific education and skills needed by a professional in that field. We refer to this as career-related instruction. The designed learning unit includes a scenario, inquiries and career-related activities. Teachers’ perceptions about co-designing and implementing the learning unit in science education are examined as well as students’ perceptions about the scenario. Data consists of teacher interviews and discussions and student questionnaires. A content analysis reveals the teachers’ high ownership and agency in co-designing the instruction, which was relevant, interesting and informative for students. It was easy for teachers to implement the learning unit even though they were not involved in every phase of the design process. We conclude that by strengthening teachers’ ownership and agency through multi-professional co-designing, relevant and interesting career-related instruction can be designed and implemented.

Student engagement with science remains a critical concern in science education policy and practice. This study explores how Finnish lower secondary school students construct their emerging science identities across out-of-school and school science contexts. We first screened questionnaire responses from 401 seventh-grade students to examine their interest and self-perceptions in science. A purposefully selected sample of 26 students was then interviewed to explore their science identity constructions in greater depth. The results uncover nuanced and unexpected positive identity expressions. Students described emotionally meaningful experiences particularly through nature-oriented engagement. Parental influence and pedagogical approaches were also found to shape students’ science identities in both supportive and limiting ways. Four identity positions emerged: Engaged Science Members, Unconfident Science Participants, Reluctant Science Achievers, and Disconnected Science Observers. The findings highlight the relational and dynamic nature of science identity development. The study underscores the importance of recognising and supporting diverse science identity trajectories through both formal instruction and informal, lived experiences with science. Implications for science education practice and identity support are discussed.

Tutkimuksessa tarkastellaan eräiden tulevien teknologiakasvatuksen opettajien käsityksiä monialaisesta opettajuudesta ja heidän suhtautumistaan siihen. Aineisto kerättiin käsityön, fysiikan ja kemian opettajaopiskelijoille suunnatulla syventävällä opintojaksolla. Aineistoksi kerättiin alkuessee liittyen monialaisen opettajuuden piirteisiin, mahdollisuuksiin ja haasteisiin. Lisäksi opiskelijoilla teetettiin Likert-asteikollinen kysely, jolla selvitettiin opiskelijoiden näkemyksiä monialaisen opettajuuden käyttökelpoisuudesta eri oppiaineiden kanssa, opiskelijoiden asenteita ja halukkuutta monialaiseen opettajuuteen sekä heidän arvionsa omista valmiuksistaan ja kyvyistään toteuttaa monialaista opettajuutta. Kurssin lopussa opiskelijoilla teetettiin SWOT-analyysi monialaisesta teknologiakasvatuksesta. Aineistoa saatiin 16–21 tutkimusluvat antaneelta opiskelijalta. Tulosten perusteella opiskelijoilla on monipuolinen käsitys monialaisesta opettajuudesta, ja heidän vastauksissaan korostuu erityisesti moniammatillinen yhteistyö. Heillä on positiivisia näkemyksiä sen toimivuudesta liittyen sekä opettajan että oppijan saamiin hyötyihin, mutta he esittävät aitoa huolta esimerkiksi resurssien riittävyydestä koulumaailmassa. Opiskelijoiden mielestä monialaista opettajuutta voidaan toteuttaa useiden oppiaineiden kanssa. Positiivisesta suhtautumisestaan huolimatta opiskelijat ovat epäileviä omien monialaisen opettajuuden toteuttamisen kykyjensä ja valmiuksiensa suhteen. Kurssin lopussa opiskelijat näkevät heillä olevan valmiuksia monialaiseen opettajuuteen teknologiakasvatuksessa, ja he näkevät sen mahdollisuudet herättää oppijoiden kiinnostus aloja kohtaan. Opiskelijat kuitenkin näkevät sen viemisessä käytäntöön haasteita: eri alojen sisältöjen ja menetelmien hallinnan lisäksi tämänkaltainen opetus vaatii erityisjärjestelyitä ja resursseja, joita kouluilla ei välttämättä ole. Tutkimustulokset pääosin vahvistavat aiempien työelämässä toimiviin opettajiin kohdistuvien tutkimusten löydöksiä, mutta opiskelijoiden vastauksissa ei nähty juurikaan heidän asenteistaan kumpuavia haasteita. Näiden tulosten pohjalta voidaan kehittää koulutusta ja tukea tulevia aineenopettajia monialaisen opettajuuden taitojen ja osaamisen vahvistamiseksi. Physics, crafts, and chemistry pre-service teachers’ conceptions about transversal teaching and technology education In this study, pre-service technology education teachers’ conceptions and attitudes towards transversal teaching are evaluated. The data were gathered in an advanced level course designed for crafts, physics, and chemistry teacher students. The data included students’ pre-essays related to the characteristics, possibilities, and challenges of transversal teaching. In addition, a Likert-scale survey was utilized in evaluating students’ views concerning the usefulness of transversal teaching with other subjects, their attitudes and willingness to implement transversal teaching, and their evaluation about their skills to implement transversal teaching. At the end of the course, students made a SWOT analysis concerning transdisciplinary technology education. The data was received from 16–21 students willing to participate in the study. Based on the results, students have versatile views about transversal teaching, and their responses emphasize multiprofessional collaboration. They have positive views about the functionality of it related to the benefits for both teachers and students but they are genuinely concerned about the sufficiency of the resources at schools. Students think that transversal teaching can be implemented with various subjects. Despite their positive attitudes, students are sceptical about their skills to implement transversal teaching. At the end of the course, students think that they do have skills for transversal teaching in technology education, and they see the possibilities of it in awakening interest towards related areas. However, students see challenges in taking it into practice: besides mastering both content and methods of various disciplines, this type of instruction requires special arrangements and resources that schools might not have. Mostly our results support the previous findings received with in-service teachers but the challenges emerging from respondents’ attitudes were practically absent in students’ responses. Based on these results, teacher education can be developed furthermore, and subject teachers can be supported in enhancing their know-how concerning transversal teaching. Fulltext in Finnish.