Astronaut Tim Peake’s Principia mission 2015-16 saw him become the first government-sponsored British astronaut to go to the International Space Station. Researchers in UYSEG are investigating if human spaceflight inspires school students to choose science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects and careers. The team is led by Judith Bennett. Maria Turkenburg follows students who were in primary school during the first stage of the project (2015-18) through to the time they chose their GCSE subjects. We focus on the development of students’ STEM identities, their self-efficacy in decision making, and the influences along the way. The project is funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and the UK Space Agency.
If you would like to know more, please contact Judith Bennett at judith.bennett@york.ac.uk.