13th European Science Education Research Association (ESERA) Conference, Portekiz, 30 Ağustos 2021
In this study, the aim was to form a casual path model with a mediator variable for career choice, which
involved the variables of career outcomes, high school physics experiences, high school physics identities as
the multipredictors of the career choice of a group of undergraduate students. The direct, indirect and total
effects of career outcomes, high school physics experiences, high school physics identities on career choice
in the pertinent model were examined in the research which was set up as a predictive correlational
research model. The study group of the research was determined by stratified objective sampling method.
The study group consists of a total of 693 first year students of which 77.8% (n = 539) female and 22.2% (n
= 154) male in a state university. The students continue their education in physics, mathematics, chemistry,
biology, physics teacher, mathematics teacher, chemistry teacher, biology teacher and science teacher.
Demographic Information Questionnaire, High School Career Output Expectations and Physics
Experiments Questionnaire and Physics Identity Scale developed by the researcher were used in obtaining
research data. Data were tested via path analysis. This research has achieved two conclusions. The first
result is about whether the physics identity scores of students according to sex differ or not. Unlike other
researches, in this study, girls had higher scores in physics identity and in all sub-identities than boys. This
result, which is different from other researches, may be a new and different experience for researchers and
teachers. The second conclusion is that physics identity is a strong predictor of students' career choice in
areas related to basic sciences. This conclusion emphasizes the perceptions of students about physics and
the importance of those perceptions on career preferences. These findings provide a basis for future
research as well as directing educators and researchers to understand how they could affect students’
physics identity