On the impact of the Bristol ChemLabS’ outreach programme on admissions to the School of Chemistry
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29311/ndtps.v0i7.463Abstract
Analysis of the average number of applicants received from schools that engaged in the Bristol ChemLabS Outreach program prior to a student‟s application with those that did not engage, shows a significant increase in applicants from engaged schools. The significance is weaker when just Post 16 students are considered but this is almost certainly due to a smaller sample size. When this analysis was inspected in terms of the distance of the school from the University of Bristol, there was an increase in the number of applicants from engaged schools irrespective of distance. However, a statistically significant increase was observed for schools within 50 miles of the University from an analysis of just Post 16 students. Students who applied to the department from an engaged school were more likely to accept an offer and also to make the department their firm acceptance. A slightly higher number of applications that were rejected came from engaged schools too. There are two possible reasons; first, the engagement may have encouraged more students who did not have the required entry qualifications. Second, during the period of analysis, the overall entry grades went up by one grade each year. Such a dramatic rise was probably the reason for the slightly elevated numbers.References
UCAS, Research Team (2008) „Trends in Applications, Applicants and Acceptances to Mathematics, Physics, Engineering and Biology between the Years 2002 and 2007‟, DIUS Research Report, 08-21.
Osborne, J., Simon, S., Collins, S. (2003) „Attitudes Towards Science: A Review of the Literature and its Implications‟, International Journal of Science Education, 25(9), 1049-1079.
Beck, M.R., Morgan, E.A., Strand, S.S. and Woolsey, T.A. (2006) „Volunteers Bring Passion to Science Outreach‟, Science, 314, 1246-1247.
Flynn, N. (2005) „Science Days: An Interdisciplinary Program‟ Journal of Chemical Education, 82, 1483-1485.
Bell, R.L., Blair, L.M., Crawford, B.A. and Lederman, N.G. (2003) „Just Do It? Impact of a Science Apprenticeship Program on High School Students‟ Understandings of the Nature of Science and Scientific Inquiry‟, Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 40(5), 487-509
Melber, L.M. (2003), „Partnerships in Science Learning: Museum Outreach and Elementary Gifted Education‟, Gifted Child Quarterly, 47(4), 251-258.
Gibson, H.L. and Chase, C. (2002), „Longitudinal Impact of an Inquiry-Based Science Program on Middle School Students‟ Attitudes toward Science‟, Science Education, 86(5), 693-705.
Harrison T.G., Davey W.B. and Shallcross D.E. (2011), „Making Better and Wider Use of Undergraduate Teaching Laboratories in the Promotion of Chemistry in the UK‟, submitted to New Directions.
Harrison T. G., Shaw A. J., Shallcross K. L., Williams S. J. and Shallcross D. E. (2010), School-University partnerships: Lessons learned from 10 years of Spectroscopy for Teachers and Post 16 Students, New Directions, 6, 72-76.
Harrison T.G. and Shallcross D.E. (2010), What should be Expected of Successful Engagement between Schools, Colleges and Universities? School Science Review, 91(35), 97-102.
Shaw A.J., Harrison T.G., Croker S.J., Medley M.I., Sellou L. Shallcross K.L., Williams S.J., and Shallcross D.E. (2010), University-School partnerships: On the impact on students of Summer Schools (for school students aged 17-18) run by Bristol ChemLabS, Acta Didactica Napocensia 3(4), 35-48.
Shaw, A.J., Harrison, T.G., Croker, S.J., Medley., M.I., Shallcross, K.L., Williams, S.J. and Shallcross, D.E. (2010), University-School partnerships: Polymer Chemistry days run at a University for 14-15 year olds and their impact on attitudes to Science, Acta Didactica Napocensia, 3 (1), 19-26.
Shaw, A.J., Harrison, T.G., Shallcross, D.E. and Medley, M.I. (2009), Chemistry Inreach: Engaging with University Employees‟ Children within a Chemistry Department, Acta Didactica Napocensia, 2 (4), 107-112.
Harrison T. G., Hughes L. and Shallcross D. E. (2009), „Jersey Schools Science Week: An Outreach Case Study‟, New Directions 4, 30-33 (2009).
Tuah J., Harrison T.G. and Shallcross D.E. (2010), „A Review of the Use of Demonstration Lectures in the Promotion of Positive Attitudes towards, and the Learning of Science with reference to a „A Pollutant‟s Tale‟, a demonstration lecture on air quality and climate change‟, The Romanian Journal of Education 1, 75-80 (2010).