Why science students perform below expectations in science-related careers

Experts in the field of science have identified a lack of foundational orientation as one of the challenges contributing to students’ failure in the department.

They said that many secondary school students who are currently in the science department found their way there by accident and not by predetermined decision.

Speaking at a career counselling for science students under Education District 1 in Lagos State, in collaboration with Daniel and Fola Olukoya Biotechnology Foundation, the General Manager of the foundation, Ahmed Adebisi Otunba, took a swipe at parents forcing their wards to study science-related courses. 

Otunba said this act would only impact negatively the child’s life, as he won’t be able to perform beyond expectations in the field.

He explained that being in the science field is to be able to have at least a problem or more that one is determined to solve.

He appealed to parents to allow their children to choose the career path they wish to follow, adding that conscious decision matters in choosing a career that takes at least 40 years of a man’s life. 

According to him, “Some students have been misled by their parents, who are in the habit of comparing their wards with other children doing well in science courses such as medicine or pharmacy.

“So, many students who found themselves in science classes are not scientists until they discovered the reason they are studying the course and the reason is to solve a particular problem or many problems.

“Students in this category should go back home and look at their environment to examine problems confronting their family or individuals, and try to provide solutions to such problems,” Otunba added.

He implored the government to provide succor and scholarships to students who are career seekers and ready to provide solutions to some of the challenges confronting the nation.

“For a student to attend public schools to seek knowledge, it means that person is financially deficient. So, such a student will require the government to finance his/her education,” he added.

Speaking earlier, Bamidele Salami, who is the Coordinator for Centre for Entrepreneur Development and Innovation at the Mountain Top University (MTU), commended the foundation for the initiative, saying this would go a long way in helping students refocus and correct mistakes made in the choice of choosing a career. 

He told the students not to be deceived by the saying that only those in the science field excel in their chosen field, adding that every discipline has its own strength and prospect. 

He advised students who have been coerced into pursuing a career in sciences to channel their attention to something they have always love to do. 

In their reactions, students of the participating schools thanked the organisers for availing them of the opportunity to attend the event. 

Abiola-Amid Great of Sasa Community Senior High School, Alimosho, advised his colleagues to seek career paths for the sake of impacting society.

Most people are into what they are doing because they want the money and recognition, “but they don’t know that the career they venture into should be because they want to solve a problem and make an impact. Because the more impact you make, the more you are remembered,” he said.

On her part, Bamidele Deborah who is in Senior Secondary School 3 at Isolog College, Ojodu, Lagos, said her decision to become a paediatrician has been ignited by what he learnt from the gathering.