Correlates of Science Concept Acquisition: Foundations for Better Doctors, Engineers, and Scientists

Background: School prepare students for successful professional careers. Evidence indicates that the quality of science education in schools is deteriorating andstudents may not bedeveloping the conceptual understanding of science required for success in later life. This may be one of the causesofdearth of research scientists in the country. Objective: The present study was conducted to study science concept acquisition and related variables in secondary school students in Punjab Province. Method: A survey was conducted involving a purposive sample of 720 male and female students of class 9 in both science and humanities groups in public sector schools in six districts of Punjab covering the central,southern and northern region of the province. The Science Concept Acquisition Test and a self – constructed questionnaire were used for data collection. Results: The findings of this study revealed that variables like class size, teaching methodology, academic group and city were important in the performance of students in science. The study also yielded gender differences in test scores. Conclusion: It is suggested that the school authorites and all stakeholdersneed to take steps to improve the quality and learning outcome of science education in Pakistan.