Pedro Lourtie LLP Project: ATTRACT ” Enhance the Attractiveness of Studies in Science and Technology ” WP 7 - Attracting students to studies in science and technology /engineering education

Pedro Lourtie WP 7 - Goals Interest young people in Science & Technology and Engineering (S&T/E) Attract candidates to the higher education S&T/E programmes Balance gender representation in S&T/E programmes

Pedro Lourtie WP 7 - Phases 1.Inventory of actions and practices 2.Debate and generation of ideas 3.Field trials/questionnaires 4.Analysis of results

Pedro Lourtie 1. Inventory of actions and practices (1) Contributions on the basis of a report template Recruitment and access system (based upon Eurydice and partners’ contributions) –Selection at national or institutional level –Requirements for candidacy –Additional tests/exams/interviews –Selection criteria –Calendar of the process

Pedro Lourtie 1.Inventory of actions and practices (2) Institutional initiatives (partners’ contributions) –By institution and associated organizations Entity responsible for the action and partnerships Aims Target population, methodology and period of application Results obtained –Reports, studies and surveys –Gender situation

Pedro Lourtie 1.Inventory of actions and practices (3) National actions (partners’ contributions) –Actions promoting S&T/E –Public image of S&T/E –School guidance Systematization of contributions: presented at the Grenoble meeting (13 th and 14 th January 2011)

Pedro Lourtie Recruitment and access system (1)

Pedro Lourtie Recruitment and access system (2)

Pedro Lourtie National actions In all countries: activities to promote science and technology and to attract students to these areas Similar aims: promote scientific and technological culture among young population experimental teaching of sciences and the promotion of science education at pre university school providing opportunities for observation and personal contact with experts in different fields of knowledge competitions, contests and awards in the area of science and technology

Pedro Lourtie Institutional initiatives (1) Visits to secondary schools "Open Days" and / or visits of secondary schools to the institutions Participation in fairs of university education and dissemination of activities in S&T Internships and summer courses for secondary school students Website of the institution and materials / brochures about the programmes offered

Pedro Lourtie Institutional initiatives (2) Brief university experiences or internships to experience academic life (KTH, LiTH, TCD) 1st year students to visit school (UPPSALA) or teachers back to school (IST) Media Advertising (TCD and IST), presence in social networks (IST), and developing applications for mobile phones / IPHONE (TCD) Attracting students from social and ethnic minorities (TCD) Reinforcing the relationship secondary school / university (KTH, Uppsala) Promoting workshops on job career (KTH, TCD, LiTH) and exhibits on S & T (TCD) Mathematics coaching (LiTH)

Pedro Lourtie Institutional initiatives (3) Summer school for girls (KTH); Girls week (UPPSALA) International Women's Week (TCD) promoting access to training in engineering by women and development of interdisciplinary courses, where the ratio of women is higher (Aalto) Quintek days, inviting female students to experience academic life (LiTH) Activities to promote gender balance:

Pedro Lourtie 2. Debate and generation of ideas (1) Grenoble meeting: 13 th and 14 th January 2011 Summary of issues: –Few degrees of freedom in the choice of students –Little in common among partners concerning the recruitment of students with different backgrounds –Significant degree of similarity of institutional activities to attract students to S&T/E –Different calendars of access activities

Pedro Lourtie TasksYear X-1Year X ActivitiesPartnersJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOct Recruitment / activities Aalto IST LiTH TCD Torino Exams/ Apllications Aalto IST LiTH TCD Torino Enrollment Aalto IST LiTH TCD Torino 2. Debate and generation of ideas (2)

Pedro Lourtie 2. Debate and generation of ideas (3) Follow-up to the Grenoble meeting: –Questionnaire to identify the reasons for choosing S&T/E programmes applied to 2 cohorts of 1 st year students ( and ) –Questionnaire or case studies of secondary students’ choices –Address the gender issue in the questionnaires –Possibility of reaching the families of students (considered not viable by most partners)

Pedro Lourtie 3. Field trials/questionnaires (1) Questionnaires: –Draft questionnaires sent to partners ( ) –Adaptations by the partners of the section concerning the secondary education system structure –1 case study/interviews proposed –1 comparison of questionnaires used Period for field trials/questionnaires: – to

Pedro Lourtie 3. Field trials/questionnaires (2) Common topics of questionnaires: –Area of study in secondary education –Parental background –Sources of information for choice –Perception of importance of engineers –Perception of the difficulty of professional duties of engineers, compared with other professions

Pedro Lourtie 3. Field trials/questionnaires (3) Common topics of questionnaires (cont.): –Perception of the effort required by engineering programmes, compared with others –Perception of pay level of engineers, compared with other professions –Perception of importance given by employers to engineers, compared with other professionals –Perception of ease of access to labour market

Pedro Lourtie 3. Field trials/questionnaires (4) Specific topics for entrant students: –Time of decision of the engineering programme –Factors influencing the decision Specific topics for secondary students: –Decision to follow tertiary studies –Area of study chosen –Time of the decision

Pedro Lourtie Challenges and obstacles Differences: –In national access systems and calendars –In attractiveness for S&T/E –Partners’ institutional motivations Limited capacity to change access system in many countries Insufficient response or timely response

Pedro Lourtie Involvement of stakeholders Why: –Identification of opportunities to attract students to S&T/E –Participation in institutional activities –Institutional participation in other organizations’ activities to promote S&T/E What: –Professional associations –Student organizations –Business employing engineers –Organizations promoting S&T

Pedro Lourtie Timeline ItemFromTo Report on inventory and practices Draft July 2011 FinalJuly 2011October 2011 Field trials / questionnaires 1st year students 2010/11 June 2011 Secondary students June st year students 2011/12August 2011September 2011 Analysis of the resultsOctober 2011November 2011 Report on field trials / questionnairesDecember 2011February 2012

Pedro Lourtie Final comments There are large differences in the attractiveness of S&T/E

Pedro Lourtie Final comments Reasons for the difference in attractiveness has to be understood to support new institutional or national initiatives Analysis of questionnaires may give first insight into the reasons to choose S&T/E programmes Further in depth study of social/cultural reasons? –Comparing countries with high and low number of candidates for S&T/E programmes – Comparing countries with different proportion of gender imbalance

Pedro Lourtie Thank You