Parental and society influence on Physics students' enrolment decisions in the University of Education, Winneba, Ghana

Abstract

The research explored the enrolment decisions of science students in the University of Education, Winneba to enroll in science courses particularly. The study used a modified multiple worlds model to investigate how the various worlds of the students influenced their science subject choice. All science students of UEW constituted the population from which a sample of two hundred and sixteen students was drawn. Two equivalent forms of questionnaire designated as PSQ, responded to by Physics students and BSQ , responded to by Biology students were used to collect biographical data. A reliability coefficient of 0.72 was obtained on the questionnaires while construct validity and triangulation were used to establish their validity. The study found that students do not perceive their parents as influencing them to choose physics, and also did not perceive any influence within society to have swayed their subject choice either.