22 New Directions
Communication
On the impact of the Bristol ChemLabS’ outreach programme...
Abstract
Analysis of the average number of applicants received from schools that engaged in the
Bristol ChemLabS Outreach program prior to a student‟s application with those that did
not engage, shows a significant increase in applicants from engaged schools. The
significance is weaker when just Post 16 students are considered but this is almost
certainly due to a smaller sample size. When this analysis was inspected in terms of the
distance of the school from the University of Bristol, there was an increase in the number
of applicants from engaged schools irrespective of distance. However, a statistically
significant increase was observed for schools within 50 miles of the University from an
analysis of just Post 16 students. Students who applied to the department from an
engaged school were more likely to accept an offer and also to make the department
their firm acceptance. A slightly higher number of applications that were rejected came
from engaged schools too. There are two possible reasons; first, the engagement may
have encouraged more students who did not have the required entry qualifications.
Second, during the period of analysis, the overall entry grades went up by one grade
each year. Such a dramatic rise was probably the reason for the slightly elevated
numbers.
Introduction
The numbers of applicants and acceptances from universities have been increasing
overall in recent years
1
. However, there has been concern for some time about the
decline in interest from young people in studying science and in pursuing scientific
careers
2
. Interest in science outreach related activities has risen based on this, where
the engagement activities often are concerned with encouraging interest in science and
scientific careers
3-7
.
Following on from the original goals of the outreach program started in 2000, the Bristol
ChemLabS Outreach activities
8-15
have the objective of promoting Chemistry on a
national and even an international basis, without any emphasis on recruitment to the
School of Chemistry at Bristol. In this way, activities are free from advertising and staff
are under no pressure to compare recruitment statistics with outreach activity. This has
been a very helpful approach and has allowed the Outreach team to take a long-term
view in terms of their planning. However, after five years of the Bristol ChemLabS
Outreach program it is interesting and appropriate to look back and compare these
activities with data on applications and admissions to the School of Chemistry. Has the
Outreach program had any impact on recruitment? This study compares applications
from schools that have and have not engaged with Bristol ChemLabS in the years prior
to the application being made and look at trends.
Research Questions
What are the effects, if any, of a school‟s engagement with the Bristol ChemLabS‟
outreach program on the number of students applying to study chemistry at the
University of Bristol?
What are the differences, if any, between applicants to the School of Chemistry if
the applicant‟s school had or had not taken part in Bristol ChemLabS outreach
activities?
Methods
Sample
Application data to the School of Chemistry were obtained for the years between 2005
and 2008. This included applications for all chemistry undergraduate courses supplied by
the department, for both immediate and deferred starts. Data were supplied in an
anonymous format but appropriate for this research.
A J Shaw, T G Harrison,
K L Shallcross, S J Williams
and D E Shallcross*
Bristol ChemLabS
School of Chemistry
University of Bristol
Bristol
BS8 1TS
*d.e.shallcross@bris.ac.uk
On the impact of the Bristol ChemLabS’
outreach programme on admissions to
the School of Chemistry
...there has been concern
for some time about the
decline in interest from
young people in studying
science and in pursuing
scientific careers
Issue 7 23
Communication
On the impact of the Bristol ChemLabS’ outreach programme...
Results & Analysis
1. Applications analysis
Table 1 shows that engaged schools showed a noticeably
higher average number of applicants than schools that had
not engaged with Bristol ChemLabS prior to the applications
being made, both the Post 16 and complete cohort. An
independent samples t-test was used to compare the average
number of all applicants for both engaged and non engaged
schools over the three years of applications from 2006 to
2008. For the entirety of these three years, engaged schools
were found to have significantly higher average numbers of
applicants than non-engaged schools (t (1370) = -1.981,
p = .048 (two tailed)). For Post 16 students the t-test was
bordering on significant (t =-1.923, p = .055 (two tailed)).
Since the results are very similar to those obtained for the
overall engaged group, reduced sample size could be a factor
here.
2. Applications from Students Attending Schools in
Surrounding Areas Engaging with Bristol ChemLabS
When considering the cohort as a whole engaged schools
show slightly higher average numbers of applicants than
non-engaged schools. However, the differences were not
statistically significant for any of the areas when independent
sample t-tests were used to compare the average number of
applicants for both engaged and non engaged schools in each
area. In a similar way, just the Post 16 cohort showed that in
almost all locations, engaged schools show slightly higher
average numbers of applicants than non-engaged schools.
Independent
samples t-tests
were used to
establish whether
the difference in
average number of
applicants from
engaged and
non-engaged
schools were
significant. Table 2
shows the p-values that indicate that there are a significantly
higher number of applicants per school for engaged schools
within 50 miles of the University of Bristol, compared with
schools in the same area that had not been engaged.
The following variables were available in these data:
Year of Admission cycle
Entry year applied for
Course applied for at University of Bristol
Decision/response at University of Bristol
Gender
Local Education Authority
School
Institution the applicant attended
These data were merged with information on which schools
had engaged in the Bristol ChemLabS Outreach program and
a variable was created to indicate this.
The definition of an engaged school included any secondary
school that had engaged with Bristol ChemLabS outreach in
the years prior to the students‟ application to the University of
Bristol. This grouping takes into account students that may
have been affected indirectly through their schools‟ interaction
with Bristol ChemLabS, such as through recommendations by
teachers or fellow students.
Data Analysis
The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was
used to run statistical analysis tests with data. Chi-square
tests of independence were used to explore the relationship
between engaged
and non engaged
applicants, and a
number of
variables. Post-hoc
tests were used to
further understand
results of
chi-square tests of
independence,
when more
clarification was necessary. Independent samples t-tests were
used to compare groups (engaged and non-engaged schools)
in terms of the average numbers of students applying to the
School of Chemistry.
Table 1: Average number of applicants per school to the School of Chemistry from
2006 to 2008
2006 – 2008 All Applicants Engaged School Non Engaged
School
All students
2.54 3.10 2.51
A level students
2.54 3.30 2.52
Distance from University of
Bristol
All Applicants Engaged Non-engaged Sig. (2-tailed)
50 Miles
Post 16
All
2.60
2.60
3.77
3.00
2.41
2.43
.017*
Within 100 miles
Post 16
All
2.82
2.82
3.30
3.21
2.77
2.74
.29
Between 50 and 100 miles
Post 16
All
3.01
3.01
2.36
3.62
3.05
2.95
.46
Over 100 miles
Post 16
All
2.45
2.45
3.27
2.85
2.44
2.44
.29
Table 2: Average number of applicants per school to the School of Chemistry based on school location during 2006 to 2008
* indicates difference is significant at the 95% confidence level or above
24 New Directions
Communication
On the impact of the Bristol ChemLabS’ outreach programme...
3. Gender of Applicants and School Engagement
Schools engaging with Bristol ChemLabS had a slightly larger
proportion of males applying to study chemistry at the
University of Bristol than schools that had not engaged. The
Chi-square test for independence indicated no significant
association between school engagement and gender for the
whole cohort, χ2 (1, n = 3585) = 2.9, p = .09 or from the group
of just A level students, χ2 (1, n = 3585) = 3.8, p = .06.
4. Decision on Students‟ Applications
Analysis of applications showed that students from engaged
schools were more likely to accept the offer made to them and
indeed were more likely to make the department their firm
acceptance. A downside was that engagement encouraged
more students from those schools to apply who did not have
the required entry qualifications, leading to a slightly higher
number of rejections. During this time, the School of
Chemistry raised their entry requirement by at least one Post
16 grade each year. This rapidly increasing entry requirement
could also be responsible for the increase in rejections.
5. Applicants‟ School Type and
School Engagement
There are no significant differences
between the proportion of
applicants from state and
independent schools between
applicants from engaged and
non-engaged schools. Inspection of
the proportions of applicants from
each type of school by year
indicates some variation over the
three years for the proportions of
applicants from engaged schools
from either type of school, but
these differences are not
significant, and could be due to the
smaller base sizes caused by the
fact that applicants from Further
Education (FE) colleges could not
be included in the comparison.
Discussion
Applicants from Engaged and Non-Engaged Schools
Results indicate that there is a significant association between
engaging with a school and the number of applications
received. There are obvious potential reasons for the
difference observed in average numbers of applicants such as
that students experiencing the university may have liked
particular aspects of it (such as the facilities they saw or the
students they met) which may have impacted on their decision
to apply. It may have been the only non open day contact they
have had with University staff and students.
Another consideration
is that schools
engaging with Bristol
ChemLabS (in fact, all
schools that sign up to
receive the CHeMneT
newsletter) tend to be
better performing than
average, with more students than average taking triple
science and Post 16 chemistry. This may mean that they have
more students applying for university generally, and more
students applying for chemistry or chemistry related subjects.
This wouldn‟t necessarily explain an increase in applications
to Bristol specifically, but could be a potential avenue for
future research to see if engaged schools do have more
students applying for chemistry at university, and whether or
not those students show a bias towards applying to Bristol.
Applications from Students Attending Schools in Surrounding
Areas Engaging with Bristol ChemLabS
A comparison of the average number of applicants per school
to the School of Chemistry at the University of Bristol was
made, isolating schools within 50 miles of the university,
schools within 100 miles of the university, schools within 50 to
100 miles of the university and schools over 100 miles away.
In a comparison of all engaged and non-engaged schools, the
findings demonstrated that in all areas, the average number of
students applying to the School of Chemistry was higher in
engaged schools than
non-engaged schools. However,
independent samples t-tests
demonstrated that this difference
was not significant in any area,
near or far from the university.
Comparing only those schools with
engaged Post 16 students and
those not engaging Post 16
students, the findings showed that
in most areas, the average number
of students applying to the School
of Chemistry was higher in
engaged schools than
non-engaged schools. Results from
independent samples t-tests
indicated that this difference was
significant for students from
schools within 50 miles of the
university. This suggests that
students that potentially may not
have applied to the University of
Bristol from this area (perhaps because it was too close to
home) did so after experiencing the university for themselves.
Across the whole university the number of students applying
from the southwest of England region is only 8-9%. The
significant association between application and engagement
with local schools is particularly encouraging. However, there
was a change in the trend for schools between 50 and 100
miles from the university. Although not significant, schools
from this area that had not engaged with Bristol ChemLabS
had a higher average number of students applying to the
University of Bristol than those schools that had engaged. The
sample size for this particular analysis was very small, and
given this trend does
not occur when all
engaged schools are
used in the
comparison, it could be
that the small sample
size had an impact on
this result.
All Applicants Engaged Non-Engaged
Male All
Post 16
62%
67%
68%
61%
61%
Female All
Post 16
38%
33%
32%
39%
39%
Table 3: Proportion of applications to study chemistry at the University of
Bristol who are males and females from 2006 to 2008
Analysis of applications
showed that students
from engaged schools
were more likely to
accept the offer made
to them and indeed
were more likely to make
the department their firm
acceptance
Issue 7 25
Communication
On the impact of the Bristol ChemLabS’ outreach programme...
Gender of Applicants and School Engagement
In all applicants to the School of Chemistry, each year around
two thirds of applicants are male, and one third female. In a
recent report from UCAS, the UK university admissions
service
1
analysis of university applications from 2002 to 2007
showed nationally around 60% of applications to study
chemistry were from males. Comparison of applicants from
engaged and non-engaged schools showed little difference in
the proportion of males to females, both for all engaged
schools and just those with engaged Post 16 students. Since
only a few of the activities offered by Bristol ChemLabS are
specifically to encourage female students‟ interest in
chemistry (and these are at Key Stages 2-4), it is perhaps
unsurprising that there is no change in this. The positive
interpretation of this finding is that the activities of Bristol
ChemLabS may be appealing to both males and females in
equal measures, since the ratios of gender were not
significantly different.
Decision on Students‟ Applications
Although there was no significant
result in the post-hoc test for the
numbers of engaged and
non-engaged applicants declining a
place at the School of Chemistry,
inspection of the original results
suggest that applicants from
engaged schools are less likely to
decline a place if they are offered
one. The standardised residual for
this group, (students from engaged
schools that declined a place)
although not statistically significant,
shows there were less than
expected numbers of applicants in
this group. This may have been the
case because many of these
students may have had direct
experience of the University of
Bristol and the School of
Chemistry, and so would be more
likely to apply for a place only if
they were reasonably sure they would want to attend the
university. A similar pattern of results was observed in the
comparison of schools with engaged Post 16 students and
schools without, although this was not significant in statistical
tests. Again, this may be due to the reduced sample size for
this particular group.
Applicants‟ School Type and School Engagement
There was no significant difference between applicants from
engaged and non engaged schools in the proportion of
applicants coming from state and independent schools, in
both a comparison involving all engaged schools and that
involving only schools with engaged Post 16 students. It has
been established that Bristol ChemLabS has been engaging
with a similar proportion of state and independent schools to
that in the whole of the UK. The positive interpretation of this
finding is that the activities that Bristol ChemLabS provide do
not seem to appeal to students from one type of school more
than another. It is important to bear in mind that this
comparison did not take into account those students that had
gone on to an FE institution to undertake their Post 16 studies,
as it was not possible to tell what type of school they originally
attended from the data available.
Summary
From 2006 to 2008, schools that had engaged with Bristol
ChemLabS (with any age group) had a significantly higher
average number of applicants than schools that had not
engaged. Although this was only a small difference, it is an
encouraging finding that suggests engaging in
chemistry-related activities like those offered by Bristol
ChemLabS may have an effect on students‟ further study
decisions.
Further Research
If further research were to be undertaken, it would be useful to
increase the sample size of applicants, in order to obtain more
reliable results, and give a better chance of being able to
obtain a significant result if there are real differences between
applicants from engaged and non-engaged schools. Further
research would also be interesting into the places that
students from schools engaging with Bristol ChemLabS go.
Although this research showed a slight increase in applicants
to the School of Chemistry at the
University of Bristol, it would be
interesting to research whether
engaged schools have an overall
increase in students applying for
chemistry related degrees at any
university. It would be useful to gain
information from both engaged and
non-engaged schools on where
and what university courses
(including non-chemistry courses at
Bristol) their students apply for, to
establish if there is any overall
difference.
Acknowledgments
We would like to thank the Higher
Education Funding Council for
England for their funding of the
Bristol ChemLabS CETL project.
Dudley Shallcross also thanks the
UK‟s Higher Education Academy
for a National Teaching Fellowship.
References
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Applicants and Acceptances to Mathematics, Physics,
Engineering and Biology between the Years 2002 and
2007‟, DIUS Research Report, 08-21.
2. Osborne, J., Simon, S., Collins, S. (2003) „Attitudes
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25(9), 1049-1079.
3. Beck, M.R., Morgan, E.A., Strand, S.S. and Woolsey,
T.A. (2006) „Volunteers Bring Passion to Science
Outreach‟, Science, 314, 1246-1247.
4. Flynn, N. (2005) „Science Days: An Interdisciplinary
Program‟ Journal of Chemical Education, 82, 1483-1485.
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From 2006 to 2008,
schools that had
engaged with Bristol
ChemLabS... had a
significantly higher
average number of
applicants than schools
that had not engaged
26 New Directions
Communication
On the impact of the Bristol ChemLabS’ outreach programme...
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it is an encouraging
finding that suggests
engaging in
chemistry-related
activities like those
offered by Bristol
ChemLabS may have an
effect on students’
further study decisions.