Employability versus Passion for Basic Sciences: Career Paths of Biology Graduates After Getting Higher Education Diploma

Öz

Manufacturing high-profit goods in the information and technology age requires solid foundations in basic sciences. However, despite their interests and high success, basic sciences often fail to attract university candidates due to the perceived job insecurity after graduation. To challenge this notion, the current study aimed to examine biology graduates’ profiles and career life. As a survey study, an online questionnaire was administered to 56 graduates of the biological sciences department. The findings showed that almost all graduates chose biology due to their interest in the first place. The majority thought that their undergraduate education prepared them effectively for their future career, and they acquired 21st-century skills adequately, except for entrepreneurship skills. They found a job related to their major in one to two years. They were primarily employed in universities and got academic positions. They were satisfied with their jobs. The study concluded that higher education attains its aim to match passionate people in line with their interests; however, it still needs to update curricula considering current knowledge, skills, and competencies. The implications may encourage university candidates to follow their passion in pursuing a career in basic sciences, particularly in Biology.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Higher education
• basic sciences
• biology graduates
• career choice
• employability

İstihdam Edilmek mi Yoksa Temel Bilim Tutkusu mu? Biyoloji Mezunlarının Yükseköğretim Diploması Aldıktan Sonraki Kariyer Yaşantıları

Öz

Bilgi ve teknoloji çağında kârı yüksek mallar üretebilmek için temel bilimlerde sağlam temellere sahip olmak gereklidir. Ancak, bazı üniversite adayları genellikle mezuniyet sonrası iş güvencesizliği yaşayacakları düşüncesiyle ilgi duymalarına ve bu alanlarda yüksek başarı göstermelerine rağmen, temel bilimlerle ilgili alanları tercih etmemektedirler. Mevcut çalışma, bahsedilen bu durumu daha yakından incelemek amacıyla biyoloji mezunlarının profillerini ve kariyer yaşantılarını incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Tarama çalışması olarak tasarlanan çalışmada biyolojik bilimler bölümünden 56 mezuna çevrimiçi anket uygulanmıştır. Bulgular hemen hemen tüm mezunların biyolojiyi ilk etapta ilgilerinden dolayı seçtiklerini göstermiştir. Mezunların çoğunluğu aldıkları lisans eğitiminin onları gelecekteki kariyerleri için etkili bir şekilde hazırladığını ve girişimcilik becerileri dışında, 21. yüzyıl becerilerini yeterince kazandıklarını düşünmektedir. Mezunlar bir ila iki yıl içinde mezuniyet alanlarıyla ilgili özellikle üniversitelerde akademik pozisyonlarda iş bulmuşlardır ve çalıştıkları işlerinden memnunlardır. Çalışmada, yükseköğretimin insanları ilgi alanları doğrultusunda alan ve mesleklerle eşleştirme konusundaki amacına ulaştığı sonucuna varılmıştır; ancak yine de günümüzdeki ihtiyaç duyulan bilgi, beceri ve yetkinlikler göz önünde bulundurarak yükseköğretim programlarının güncellenmesi gerekmektedir. Sonuçlar, üniversite adaylarını temel bilimlerde, özellikle Biyoloji alanında kariyer yapma tutkularının peşinden gitmeye teşvik edebilir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Yükseköğretim
• temel bilimler
• biyoloji mezunları
• kariyer seçimi
• istihdam edilebilirlik

Kaynakça

1. Abbas, J., & Sagsan, M. (2020). Identification of key employability attributes and evaluation of university graduates' performance: Instrument development and validation. Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, 10(3), 449–466. https://doi.org/10.1108/HESWBL-06-2019-0075
2. Akar, E. Ö., İzzet, A., Üniversitesi, B., Fakültesi, E., Öğretim, O., Ve, F., Alanları, M., & Bölümü, E. (2014). Fen edebiyat fakültesi biyoloji bölümü mezunlari neden öğretmen olmak istiyor? Dergipark.Org.Tr, 22(1). https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/209947
3. Akgunduz, D. (2016). A research about the placement of the top thousand students in STEM fields in Turkey between 2000 and 2014. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 12(5), 1365–1377. https://doi.org/10.12973/eurasia.2016.1518a
4. Aksu, M., Demir, C. E., Daloglu, A., Yildirim, S., & Kiraz, E. (2010). Who are the future teachers in Turkey? Characteristics of entering student teachers. International Journal of Educational Development, 30(1), 91–101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2009.06.005
5. Araneo, K., Schwebach, J. R., & Csikari, M. (2017). Advising Biology Majors about Career Choices: Resources & Information for Biology Instructors. American Biology Teacher, 79(1), 14–21. https://doi.org/10.1525/abt.2017.79.1.14
6. Bahar, A., & Adiguzel, T. (2016). Analysis of factors influencing interest in STEM career: Comparison between American and Turkish high school students with high ability. Journal of STEM Education : Innovations and Research, 17(3), 64–69. http://ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/docview/1833037480?accountid=27203
7. Dağlı, A., & Baysal, N. (2016). Yaşam doyum ölçeği̇ni̇n Türkçe’ye uyarlanmasi: geçerli̇k ve güveni̇rli̇k çalişmasi. Elektronik Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 15(59). https://doi.org/10.17755/esosder.263229
8. DeWitt, J., Archer, L., & Moote, J. (2019). 15/16-Year-Old Students' Reasons for Choosing and Not Choosing Physics at a Level. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education, 17(6), 1071–1087. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-018-9900-4

9. Diener, E., Emmons, R. A., Larsem, R. J., & Griffin, S. (1985). The Satisfaction With Life Scale. Journal of Personality Assessment, 49(1), 71–75. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327752jpa4901_13
10. Erdogan, R. T. (2018). Yükseköğretim Akademik Yılı Açılış Töreninde Yaptıkları Konuşma. https://www.tccb.gov.tr/konusmalar/353/99365/yuksekogretim-akademik-yili-acilis-toreninde-yaptiklari-konusma
11. Author. (2013). An assessment of pre-service teacher education in terms of preparing teacher candidates for teaching. 282. https://open.metu.edu.tr/handle/11511/22664
12. Author. (2021). Who are going to teach in 21st century classes? a glance at teacher candidates to know our future teachers. In M. Alanoğlu (Ed.), EDUCATION & SCIENCE 2021-II (pp. 25–42). İstanbul: Efe Akademi Publishing. https://avesis.metu.edu.tr/yayin/9fe8fc96-be92-46e4-a231-8806b1c42040/education-science-2021-ii
13. Erkut, E. (2015). No Title. https://www.kariyermemur.com/universite-mezunlarinin-bolumlere-gore-issizlik-oranlari-h9177.html
14. Fraenkel, Jack R., Wallen, N. E. (2009). How to Design and Evaluate Research in Education. McGraw-Hill Higher Education, 0, 707. http://www.johnlpryor.com/JP_Digital_Portfolio/EDU_7901_files/EDU 7901 Data Definitions.pdf
15. Glynn, S. M., Taasoobshirazi, G., & Brickman, P. (2009). Science motivation questionnaire: Construct validation with nonscience majors. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 46(2), 127–146. https://doi.org/10.1002/tea.20267
16. Grayson, M. S., Newton, D. A., & Thompson, L. F. (2012). Payback time: The associations of debt and income with medical student career choice. Medical Education, 46(10), 983–991. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2923.2012.04340.x
17. Gruzdev, M. V., Kuznetsova, I. V., Tarkhanova, I. Y., & Kazakova, E. I. (2018). University graduates' soft skills: The employers' opinion. European Journal of Contemporary Education, 7(4), 690–698. https://doi.org/10.13187/ejced.2018.4.690
18. Gülmez, N., & Okur, M. E. (2021). Üniversite Kariyer Merkezlerinin Dünyadaki Gelişimi ve Türkiye Örneği. TroyAcademy, 6(1), 116–137. https://doi.org/10.31454/troyacademy.894132
19. Günay, D., Günay, A., & Atatekin, E. (2013). Türkiye’de temel bilimlerde sarsılış: Ülkenin sarsılışı. Yükseköğretim ve Bilim Dergisi, 3(2), 85–96. https://app.trdizin.gov.tr/makale/TVRZeE56WTJOZz09/turkiye-de-temel-bilimlerde-sarsilis-ulkenin-sarsilisi
20. Heo, M. (2008). Who chooses science? The aspirations for science of academically advanced high school students. https://getd.libs.uga.edu/pdfs/heo_misook_200812_phd.pdf
21. Jiang, Z., Hu, X., Wang, Z., & Jiang, X. (2017). Career Decision Self-Efficacy and Life Satisfaction in China: An Empirical Analysis. Social Indicators Research, 132(1), 137–154. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11205-015-1201-5
22. Johnson, M., Jain, R., Brennan-Tonetta, P., Swartz, E., Silver, D., Paolini, J., Mamonov, S., & Hill, C. (2021). Impact of Big Data and Artificial Intelligence on Industry: Developing a Workforce Roadmap for a Data Driven Economy. Global Journal of Flexible Systems Management, 22(3), 197–217. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40171-021-00272-y
23. Kabil, N. S., Allam, G. G., & Abd El-Geleel, O. M. (2018a). Motivational reasons for choosing dentistry as a professional career & factors affecting specialty choice among final year dental students. Future Dental Journal, 4(2), 308–313. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fdj.2018.04.002
24. Kabil, N. S., Allam, G. G., & Abd El-Geleel, O. M. (2018b). Motivational reasons for choosing dentistry as a professional career & factors affecting specialty choice among final year dental students. Future Dental Journal, 4(2), 308–313. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fdj.2018.04.002
25. Karaaslan, S. (2017). Ankara’daki üniversitelerin kariyer merkezleri üzerine bir değerlendirme. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Sibel-Karaaslan/publication/313051152_ANKARA’DAKI_UNIVERSITELERIN_KARIYER_MERKEZLERI_UZERINE_BIR_DEGERLENDIRME/links/588edf7992851cef1362d64c/ANKARADAKI-UeNIVERSITELERIN-KARIYER-MERKEZLERI-UeZERINE-BIR-DEGERLENDIRME.pd
26. Kass, E., & Miller, E. C. (2018). Career choice among academically excellent students: Choosing teaching career as a corrective experience. Teaching and Teacher Education, 73, 90–98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2018.03.015
27. Kaya, E., Üniversitesi, A., Karabekir, K., Fakültesi, E., Bölümü, O., Abd, B. E., Enstitüsü, B., & Özet, T. (2016). Fen fakültesi biyoloji bölümü öğrencilerinin gözüyle öğretmenlik. Bayburt Eğitim Fakültesi Dergisi, 10(2). https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/befdergi/issue/17275/180473
28. Ko, K., & Jun, K. N. (2015). A Comparative Analysis of Job Motivation and Career Preference of Asian Undergraduate Students. Public Personnel Management, 44(2), 192–213. https://doi.org/10.1177/0091026014559430
29. Krumholz, H. M. (2014). Big data and new knowledge in medicine: The thinking , training , and tools needed for a learning health system. Health Affairs, 33(7), 1163–1170. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2014.0053
30. Kulcsár, V., Dobrean, A., & Gati, I. (2020). Challenges and difficulties in career decision making: Their causes, and their effects on the process and the decision. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 116, 103346. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2019.103346 Law of higher education, T. R. (1981). Law of higher education. https://www.mevzuat.gov.tr/MevzuatMetin/1.5.2547.pdf
31. Lee, G., & Choi, D. L. (2013). Does Public Service Motivation Influence the College Students' Intention to Work in the Public Sector? Evidence From Korea. Review of Public Personnel Administration, 36(2), 145–163. https://doi.org/10.1177/0734371X13511974
32. Lindfelt, T., Ip, E. J., Gomez, A., & Barnett, M. J. (2018). The impact of work-life balance on intention to stay in academia: Results from a national survey of pharmacy faculty. Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, 14(4), 387–390. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sapharm.2017.04.008
33. Lucrezi, S., Milanese, M., Danovaro, R., & Cerrano, C. (2018). 'Generation Nemo': motivations, satisfaction and career goals of marine biology students*. Journal of Biological Education, 52(4), 391–405. https://doi.org/10.1080/00219266.2017.1385509
34. Malgwi, C. A., Howe, M. A., & Burnaby, P. A. (2005). Influences on Students' Choice of College Major. Journal of Education for Business, 80(5), 275–282. https://doi.org/10.3200/JOEB.80.5.275-282
35. Moreau, M. P., & Leathwood, C. (2006). Graduates' employment and the discourse of employability: A critical analysis. Journal of Education and Work, 19(4), 305–324. https://doi.org/10.1080/13639080600867083
36. Morra, D. J., Regehr, G., & Ginsburg, S. (2009). Medical students, money, and career selection: Students' perception of financial factors and remuneration in family medicine. Family Medicine, 41(2), 105–110. http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.621.3540&rep=rep1&type=pdf
37. Obayelu, O. A., & Fadele, I. O. (2019). Choosing a career path in agriculture: A tough calling for youths in Ibadan metropolis, Nigeria. Agricultura Tropica et Subtropica, 52(1), 27–37. https://doi.org/10.2478/ats-2019-0004
38. Özçelik, H., Nursal, A., & Yazar, Y. (2014). Üniversite adaylarinin biyoloji bölümlerine bakişi (isparta örneği). In SDU Journal of Science (E-Journal) (Vol. 9, Issue 1). https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/sdufeffd/134778
39. Özçeli̇k, H., Ünser, Ö., Kaymaz, H., & Nursal YAY, A. (2013). Üniversite öğrencilerinin biyoloji bölümünden beklentileri. In SDU Journal of Science (E-Journal) (Vol. 8, Issue 2). https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/sdufeffd/134765
40. Sari, S. V. (2019). Attaining Career Decision Self-Efficacy in Life: Roles of the Meaning in Life and the Life Satisfaction. Current Psychology, 38(5), 1245–1252. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-017-9672-y
41. Selvaratnam, M., & Mavuso, N. (2010). Competence of science foundation students in basic intellectual skills. South African Journal of Science, 106(1–2), 70–75. https://doi.org/10.4102/sajs.v106i1/2.11
42. Skatova, A., & Ferguson, E. (2014). Why do different people choose different university degrees? Motivation and the choice of degree. Frontiers in Psychology, 5(NOV). https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.01244
43. TCCMB (2022). Üniveri. https://www.cbiko.gov.tr/projeler/uni-veri
44. TUBITAK. (2022). 2205 - Lisans Burs Programı. https://www.tubitak.gov.tr/tr/burslar/lisans/burs-programlari/icerik-2205-lisans-burs-programi
45. TUIK. (2020). İşgücü İstatistikleri, 2019. https://data.tuik.gov.tr/Bulten/Index?p=Labour-Force-Statistics-2019-33784
46. Tynjälä, P., Slotte, V., Nieminen, J., Lonka, K., & Olkinuora, E. (2006). From university to working life: Graduates' workplace skills in practice. Higher Education and Working Life: Collaborations, Confrontations and Challenges, 73–88. https://www.academia.edu/download/39832077/From_university_to_working_life_Graduate20151109-1039-1211gt2.pdf
47. Wang, X. (2013). Why Students Choose STEM Majors: Motivation, High School Learning, and Postsecondary Context of Support. American Educational Research Journal, 50(5), 1081–1121. https://doi.org/10.3102/0002831213488622
48. Winters, J. M., Wang, H., Duwel, L. E., Spudich, E. A., & Stanford, J. S. (2018). Developing a Backup Plan: Implementing a Career-Planning Course for Undergraduate Biology Majors. Journal of Microbiology & Biology Education, 19(3). https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.v19i3.1449
49. Wong, I. K. A., Wan, Y. K. P., & Gao, J. H. (2017). How to attract and retain Generation Y employees? An exploration of career choice and the meaning of work. Tourism Management Perspectives, 23, 140–150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmp.2017.06.003
50. Yamazaki, Y., Fukushima, S., Kozono, Y., Uka, T., & Marui, E. (2017). Exploring attractiveness of the basic sciences for female physicians. Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine, 244(1), 7–14. https://doi.org/10.1620/tjem.244.7
51. Yoon, J., & Pak, S.-J. (2003). A Structural Equation Modeling of the Process of Science Related Career Choice. Journal of The Korean Association For Science Education, 23(5), 517–530. https://www.koreascience.or.kr/article/JAKO200317347317427.page