Journal articles and book chapters

To keep up-to-date with our latest findings, see the ASPIRES blog or join our mailing list.

Themes

• Chemistry trajectories
• Science aspirations
• Ethnicity and science aspirations 
• Masculinity and femininity 
• Physics and femininity
• Engineering aspirations 
• Science capital 
• Families and science aspirations 
• Educational gatekeeping 
• Careers education
• Cross-cutting themes
• Higher Education STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) 

Chemistry trajectories

• Archer, L., Francis, B., Moote, J., Watson, E., Henderson, M., Holmegaard, H., & MacLeod, E. (2022). Reasons for not/choosing chemistry: Why advanced level chemistry students in England do/not pursue chemistry undergraduate degrees. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 1– 36. doi:10.1002/tea.21822

Science aspirations

• Archer, L. and DeWitt, J. (2016). Understanding Young People's Science Aspirations: How students form ideas about 'becoming a scientist. London, Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781315761077.
• Dewitt, J. and Archer, L. (2015). Who aspires to a science career? A comparison of survey responses from primary and secondary school students. International Journal of Science Education, 37 (13), 2170-2192. doi: 10.1080/09500693.2015.1071899.
• Regan, E. and DeWitt, J. (2015). Attitudes, interest and factors influencing STEM enrolment behaviour: An overview of relevant literature. In E.K. Henriksen, J. Dillon and J. Ryder (Eds.), Understanding student participation and choice in science and technology education (pp. 63-88). Dordrecht: Springer.
• Archer, L., DeWitt, J. and Wong, B. (2014). Spheres of influence: What shapes young people's aspirations at age 12/13 and what are the implications for education policy? Journal of Education Policy, 29(1), 58-85. doi: 10.1080/02680939.2013.790079.
• DeWitt, J., Archer, L., Osborne, J. (2014). Science-related aspirations across the primary-secondary divide: Evidence from two surveys in England. International Journal of Science Education. doi: 10.1080/09500693.2013.871659.
• DeWitt, J., Osborne, J., Archer, L.,Dillon, J., Willis, B. and Wong, B. (2011).  Young children's aspiration in Science: The unequivocal, the uncertain and the unthinkable. International Journal of Science Education. 35 (6), 1037- 1063. doi: 10.1080/09500693.2011.608197.
• Archer, L., DeWitt, J., Osborne, J., Dillon, J., Willis, B. and Wong, B.  (2010).  'Doing' science vs 'being' a scientist. Science Education, 94 (4), 617-639. doi: 10.1002/sce.20399.

Ethnicity and science aspirations 

• Archer, L., Godec, S., and Moote, J. (2023). My Love for It Just Wasn’t Enough to Get Me Through”: A Longitudinal Case Study of Factors Supporting and Denying Black British Working-Class Young Women’s Science Identities and Trajectories. In Science Identities: Theory, method and research (pp. 23-45). Cham: Springer International Publishing. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-17642-5_2
• Archer, L., DeWitt, J. and Osborne, J. (2015). Is science for us? Black students' and parents' views of science and science careers. Science Education, 99 (2), 199-237. doi: 10.1002/sce.21146.
• Wong, B. (2012). Identifying with Science: A case study of two 13-year-old 'high achieving working class' British Asian girls. International Journal of Science Education, 34 (1), 43-65. doi: 10.1080/09500693.2010.551671.
• DeWitt, J., Osborne, J., Dillon, J., Willis, B. and Wong, B. (2010). High aspirations but low progression: The science aspirations-career paradox amongst minority ethnic students. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 9 (2), 243-271. doi: 10.1007/s10763-010-9245-0.

Masculinity and femininity

• Archer L., Moote J. and MacLeod E. (2020). Lighting the Fuse: Cultivating the Masculine Physics Habitus – A Case Study of Victor Aged 10–18. In: Gonsalves A., Danielsson A. (eds) Physics Education and Gender. Cultural Studies of Science Education, vol 19. Springer, Cham. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-41933-2_3
• Archer, L. and DeWitt, J. (2014). Science aspirations and gender identity: lessons from the ASPIRES Project. In E. K. Henriksen, J. Dillon and J. Ryder (Eds.), Understanding Student Participation and Choice in Science Technology and Education (pp. 89-102). Dordrecht: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-94-007-7793-4_6.
• Archer, L., Dewitt, J. and Willis, B. (2014). Adolescent boys' science aspirations: Masculinity, capital and power. Published online in Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 51 (1), 1-30. doi: 10.1002/tea.21122.
• Archer. L., DeWitt, J., Osborne, J., Dillon, J., Willis, B. and Wong, B. (2013). Not Girly, not sexy, not glamorous: Primary school girls' and parents' constructions of science aspirations. Pedagogy, Culture and Society, 21 (1), 171-194. doi: 10.1080/14681366.2012.748676.
• Archer, L., DeWitt, J., Osborne, J., Dillon, J., Willis, B. and Wong. B. (2012). "Balancing acts'': Elementary school girls' negotiations of femininity, achievement, and science. Science Education, 96 (6), 967-989. doi: 10.1002/sce.21031.

Physics and femininity

• ASPIRES 2 Women in Physics project spotlight. (2018). London: UCL Institute of Education.
• DeWitt, J., Archer, L. and Moote. (2018). 15/16-Year-Old Students' Reasons for Choosing and Not Choosing Physics at A Level. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 33 (2), 187-215. doi: 10.1007/s10763-018-9900-4.
• Archer, L., Moote, J., Francis, B., DeWitt, J. and Yeomans, L. (2017). The "Exceptional" Physics Girl: A Sociological Analysis of Multimethod Data From Young Women Aged 10-16 to Explore Gendered Patterns of Post-16 Participation. American Educational Research Journal, 54 (1), 88-126. doi: 10.3102/0002831216678379.
• Francis, B, Archer, L., Moote, J., DeWitt, J. and Yeomans, L. (2017). Femininity, science, and the denigration of the girly girl. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 38 (8), 1097-1110. doi: 10.1080/01425692.2016.1253455.
• Francis, B., Archer, L., Moote, J., DeWitt, J., MacLeod, E. and Yeomans, L. (2017). The Construction of Physics as a Quintessentially Masculine Subject: Young People's Perceptions of Gender Issues in Access to Physics. Sex Roles, 76 (3-4), 156-174. doi:10.1007/s11199-016-0669-z.

Engineering aspirations 

• Moote, J., Archer, L., DeWitt, J. and MacLeod, E. (2019). Comparing students' engineering and science aspirations from age 10 to 16: Investigating the role of gender, ethnicity, cultural capital, and attitudinal factors. J Eng Educ. 2020; 109: 34– 51. doi: 10.1002/jee.2030

Science capital

• Moote, J., Archer, L., DeWitt, J., MacLeod, E. (2020). Science capital or STEM capital? Exploring relationships between science capital and technology, engineering, and maths aspirations and attitudes among young people aged 17/18. J Res Sci Teach. 2020; 1– 22. doi: 10.1002/tea.21628
• Moote, J., Archer, L., DeWitt, J. and Macleod, E. (2019). Who has high science capital? An exploration of emerging patterns of science capital among students aged 17/18 in England. Research Papers in Education. doi: 10.1080/02671522.2019.1678062
• DeWitt, J., Archer, L. and Mau, A. (2016). Dimensions of science capital: Exploring its potential for understanding students’ science participation. International Journal of Science Education, 38(16), 2431-2449. doi: 10.1080/09500693.2016.1248520.
• Archer, L., Dawson, E., DeWitt, J., Seakins, A. and Wong, B. (2015). “Science capital”: A conceptual, methodological, and empirical argument for extending Bourdieusian notions of capital beyond the arts. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 52(7), 922-948. doi: 10.1002/tea.21227. 

Families and science aspirations 

• Archer, L., DeWitt, J., Osborne, J., Dillon, J., Willis, B. and Wong, B. (2012).  Science Aspirations, Capital and Family Habitus: How families shape children's engagement and identification with science. American Educational Research Journal, 49 (5), 881-908. doi: 10.3102/0002831211433290.

Educational gatekeeping 

• Francis, F., Henderson, M., Godec, S., Watson, E., Archer, L. and Moote, J. (2023). An exploration of the impact of science stratification in the English school curriculum: the relationship between ‘Double’ and ‘Triple’ Science pathways and pupils’ further study of science. Research Papers in Education.
• ASPIRES 3 Project Spotlight: Make it more relevant and practical: Young people's visions for school science in England. (2022). London: IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society
• Archer, L., Macleod, E. and Moote, J. (2020). Going, going, gone: a feminist Bourdieusian analysis of young women’s trajectories in, through and out of physics, age 10-19. In: Gonsalves A., Danielsson A. (eds) Physics Education and Gender. Cultural Studies of Science Education, vol 19. Springer, Cham. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-41933-2_2.
• ASPIRES 2 Triple science project spotlight. (2018). London: UCL Institute of Education.
• Archer, L., Moote J., Francis, B., DeWitt, J. and Yeomans, L. (2017). Stratifying science: a Bourdieusian analysis of student views and experiences of school selective practices in relation to 'Triple Science' at Key Stage 4 in England. Research Papers in Education, 32 (3), 296-315. doi: 10.1080/02671522.2016.1219382.

Careers education

• Moote, J. and Archer, L. (2018). Failing to deliver? Exploring the current status of career education provision in England. Research Papers in Education. doi: 10.1080/02671522.2016.1271005.
• Moote. J. and Archer, L. (2018). Who is getting prepared? Year 11 students’ views on careers education and work experience in English secondary schools. In Mann, A., Huddleston, P. and Kashefpakdel, E. (Eds.), Essays on Employer Engagement in Education. New York: Routledge.
• Archer, L., DeWitt, J. and Dillon, J. (2014). "It didn't really change my opinion": Exploring what works, what doesn't, and why in a school STEM careers intervention.  Published online in Research in Science and Technology Education. doi: 10.1080/02635143.2013.865601.

Cross-cutting themes

• Archer, L., Francis, B., Henderson, M., Holmegaard, H., Macleod, E., Moote, J., and Watson, E. (2023). Get lucky? Luck and educational mobility in working-class young people’s lives from age 10–21. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 1-17. doi: 10.1080/01425692.2023.2211234
• ASPIRES 3 Project Spotlight: The impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on 20/21 year old post-millennials in England. (2020). London: UCL Institute of Education.
• Archer, L., Moote, J and MacLeod, E. (2020). Learning that Physics is ‘Not for Me’: Pedagogic Work and the Cultivation of Habitus among Advanced Level Physics Students. Journal of the Learning Sciences, doi: 10.1080/10508406.2019.1707679
• DeWitt, J., Archer, L. and Osborne, J. (2013). Nerdy, brainy and normal: Children's and parents' constructions of those who are highly engaged with science. Research in Science Education, 43 (4), 1455-1476. doi: 10.1007/s11165-012-9315-0.

Higher Education STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths)

Archer, L., Godec, S., and Holmegaard, H. T. (2023). Misfits or misrecognition? Exploring STEMM degree students' concerns about non-completion. Science Education, 1– 27. doi: 10.1002/sce.21794

Contact us 

Room 710
Department of Education, Practice and Society
IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education and Society
University College London
20 Bedford Way
London WC1H 0AL

email: aspires@ucl.ac.uk 

Project findings 

You can download our latest project report which summarises our findings over the first ten years of the ASPIRES research.

• ASPIRES 2: Young people’s science and career aspirations, age 10-19 (PDF, 4.2 MB)
• The impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on 20/21 year old post-millennials in England (PDF, 0.4 MB)

See also

• Summary reports and resources

You may also be interested in 

• Science Capital Research
• The Science Capital Teaching Approach