SCIENCE EDUCATION AND YOUTH’S IDENTITY CONSTRUCTION 1 CAMILLA SCHREINER AND SVEIN SJØBERG SCIENCE EDUCATION AND YOUNG PEOPLE’S IDENTITY CONSTRUCTION - TWO MUTUALLY INCOMPATIBLE PROJECTS? INTRODUCTION i This chapter is based on the view that teaching must build on an understanding of students’ values, cultures, priorities and concerns. Rather than discussing how value issues can be addressed in science lessons (the subject of other chapters in this volume), we aim at describing aspects of the spirit of our time, and how these might influence young people’s ways of seeing and valuing their science lessons and the role of science and technology (S&T) in society. Europe needs more scientists! is the title of a report from an EU project that addressed the condition of science and technology in the European Union, with special attention to the number of people entering S&T education and careers (EU, 2004). The report title reveals the key issue: the falling recruitment of students to many S&T educations is seen as a major problem in most European countries. The same tendencies are noted in the US (NSB, 2004). There are interesting and significant differences between countries in terms of the number of students choosing S&T education and careers and the public perception of S&T. In particular, the ‘hard’ S&T subjects, such as technology, engineering, physics, and to some extent chemistry, are stricken. In addition, gender effects vary from one country to another. In most countries, boys outnumber girls in physics and engineering studies, while the gender balance is shifted towards the girls in studies including medicine, veterinary medicine, environmental science and biology. However, the overall picture in terms of interest in S&T is not unremittingly negative. Popular science magazines, books and radio and television programmes still attract large audiences, and science museums and science centres report increasing numbers of visitors. Interesting results can be gleaned from the Eurobarometer surveys. These studies monitor European citizens’ views, values and attitudes related to many aspects of society. Some of these studies address issues concerning S&T. The surveys indicate a widespread respect for, and belief in, S&T issues. The interest scores are, however, not the same for girls and boys. While girls express more interest in medicine and the environment, boys are more interested in technology (EU, 2001). An interesting result from the most recent Eurobarometer on S&T (EU, 2005) is that the level of knowledge about S&T in most European countries seems to be improving, although one often hears claims of an increasing scientific illiteracy. It seems that ‘the problem’ is not a general decline in interest in and respect for S&T as such, but rather a decline in the willingness to opt for S&T related studies and careers. Our contention is that the reluctance of young people in many of the more economically developed countries to enter S&T fields has more to do with the perceived values and images of S&T than with a lack of respect for S&T or lack of knowledge.