How Primary School Children
View University
By Michael Lee (aged 11)
My Objectives
To Find Out:
1. If children at my school in years 4, 5 and 6 know what a university is?
2. If they want to go to university? (and why?)
3. Where have they learned about university?
4. How does their current career choice fit with their thoughts about university?
??????
Methodology
Data Collection
• I chose questionnaires rather than interviews as it was more time efficient for everyone
involved.
• The questionnaire had both open and closed questions
-
I kept questions as simple as possible.
• I asked the children to answer without the help of an adult so that the answers came only
from the children.
Methodology (cont.)
Data Collection (cont.)
• I distributed the questionnaires to a sample of boys and girls in years 4, 5 and 6.
•
•
I gave out 60 forms ( approx. 1/3 of children in each year).
I asked the teachers to give the questionnaires to a mix of abilities in each class.
• The returned questionnaires were as follows:
Girls Boys
Year 4
8
3
Year 5
8
13
Year 6 10
9
Total
11
21
19
Data Analysis
• I used a spreadsheet to code the answers and search for patterns.
• I applied common sense to group together the answers to the open questions.
Ethics
• I made it clear that children did not have to answer unless they wanted to.
• All children signed a consent form and questionnaires were anonymous.
• I looked after the complete questionnaires very carefully and shredded them once I
had transferred the answers to the spreadsheet.
What do you think university is?
• 40/51
A place to learn things/ a school for older children
• 20/51
A place to prepare for your chosen job
But also:
• “A proving ground”
• Somewhere to help make you a success
• Boarding school
• Expensive
Do you want to go to university?
•
•
•
•
Percentage of completed questionnaires (n=51)
Two thirds of children said they want to
go to university.
More girls than boys want to go to
university
No clear trend between year groups.
Dearing Report (2000): 33% of young
people go into in higher education.
Why do you want to go to university?
• Most children see university as a way to
get a better job.
• Making friends and learning are also
significant factors.
• Little explanation of “other”
Percentage of children who want to go to university (n=34)
Children could choose more than one answer
Where have you heard people talking
about university?
• Two thirds of children have heard
people talking about university at home
• Very few children have heard university
talked about at school.
Percentage of completed questionnaires (n=51)
Children could choose more than one answer
Has anyone in your family been to
university?
• 37 of the 51 (72%) of children have
family members who have been to
university.
• BUT – 12 (25%) of children were
not sure if a family member has
been to university
Number of completed questionnaires (n=51)
Influence of family on children
• Of 34 children who want to go
university:
• Of the 15 children who were unsure
about going to university:
•
•
•
26 have a family member who went to
university (76%)
27 have heard university talked about at
home (79%)
•
10 have a family member who went to
university (67%)
9 have heard university talked about at
home (60%)
• A slightly higher proportion of children who have family members with university experience OR who
hear about university at home definitely want to go to university.
• The data sample is too small to draw conclusions from those that do not want to go to university.
(Only 2 responses.)
Does the child need a university degree
for their choice of job?
Do you want to go to
university?
Need
degree for
job
Yes
Yes
17
Maybe
Not
sure
No
5
0
1
Grand
Total
22
1
No
12
5
1
18
Grand Total
29
11
1
41
Children who chose a job (n=41)
• 18 Children have aligned their choice of
job with their choice about university.
(Green cells)
• 12 Children have chosen a job that is
not aligned with their job choice. (Red
cells)
• Many children have little idea of the
education required to do the job they
want to do.
Conclusions
The following conclusions are based on 51 children (in years 4, 5 and 6) at my school:
1. Children see university as a place to learn (78%) and prepare for their chosen job (39%).
2. Most children want to go to university (66%), or still have an open mind (30%).
3. The most common reason for wanting to go to university is to get a better job (76%).
4. The biggest influence on children’s opinions comes from their family life.
5. Many children do not yet understand the education they need for the job they want to do.
Larger scale research would be required to see if this is the typical across the UK.
And finally…..
Dr. Chae-Young Kim
Dr. Cindy Kerawalla
Mrs. Law