Main ASPIRES project reports

Full reports for the ASPIRES projects.

Young People’s STEM Trajectories, Age 10-22: Physics

In this report, we share evidence from the ASPIRES research project, a fourteen-year, mixed methods investigation of the factors shaping young people’s trajectories into and away from STEM education (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), with a particular focus on participation in physics. The study collected survey data from over 47,000 young people and conducted over 760 qualitative interviews with a longitudinal sample, which tracked 50 young people (and their parents/ carers) between the ages of 10 and 22. The project also conducted secondary analyses of UK National Statistics and Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) data sets on England domiciled students, aged 18 to 24. This report focuses on analyses of survey data collected at age 21/22 and longitudinal interviews conducted from age 10 to 22, to shed light on the factors shaping physics trajectories, particularly at degree level.

28 January 2026.

ASPIRES 3 Main report

Young people’s STEM trajectories, Age 10-22

Image of ASPIRES 3 report. Credit: ASPIRES.

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The ASPIRES 3 report summarises the findings from the third phase of the ASPIRES research project, a fourteen-year, mixed methods investigation of the factors shaping young people’s trajectories into, through and out of STEM education (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). The study has now collected survey data from over 47,000 young people and conducted over 760 qualitative interviews with a longitudinal sample, which tracked 50 young people (and their parents/carers) between the ages of 10 and 22.

October 2023.

Reports in Chemistry, Computing, Engineering & Mathematics

Young people’s STEM trajectories, Age 10-22

In these four reports, we share subject-specific evidence from the ASPIRE 3 research project.

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ASPIRES 2 Main report

Young people’s science and career aspirations, age 10-19

ASPIRES project reports. Image: Julie Moote for UCL Institute of Education

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The ASPIRES 2 report summarises the findings from the second phase of our study into young people’s science and career aspirations. ASPIRES 2 continued to study the same cohort of young people as ASPIRES1 from age 14-19 with a particular focus on exploring what factors relate to students’ aspirations and subject choices.

February 2020.

ASPIRES 1 Main report

Young people’s science and career aspirations, age 10-14

Image of ASPIRES1 report. Credit: ASPIRES.

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The ASPIRES report summarises the findings from the first five years of our study into young people’s science and career aspirations. The first phase of ASPIRES was conducted at King’s College London.

December 2013.

Contact us

Room 710
Department of Education, Practice and Society
UCL Institute of Education
University College London
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London WC1H 0AL

email: aspires@ucl.ac.uk