Geoscience Academic Provenance Series II - Similarities and Difference Between Population Groups

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A follow-up study was conducted from Houlton’s 2010 research that surveyed 13 of the original 17 participants who were geoscience majors. Students’ pathways toward their geoscience careers demonstrated some key similarities and differences between population groups, which have evolved from the initial study conducted in 2009-2010.*

Key Similarities:

  • College courses/Professors have great impact.
  • Short term goals are research and workforce oriented.
  • Students hope to make positive impacts on society, while maintaining a comfortable and happy lifestyle.
  • Students are no longer polarized between academia and industry: career prospects have broadened.

Similarities between student cohorts, from Houlton (2010).

Key Differences:

  • Immigrants’ goals are more varied: school vs. fiscal responsibilities.
  • Natives still have the extrinsically motivated attribute - Lucrative Careers vs. Immigrants’ Financial Stability, even though the altruism of other attributes is comparable in both populations.
  • Natives are still industry-oriented while Immigrants diversified their career prospects away from solely academia.

Differences between student cohorts, from Houlton (2010).