Factors influencing interest in STEM careers: An exploratory factor analysis

Table 1, Table 2, and Table 3 present the descriptive statistics related to the students' knowledge on the symbol, unit, and formula of the fundamental physical quantities. The data obtained from the data sheet are generally indicated that the students do not comprehend the symbol, unit, and formula of the fundamental physical quantities by solving problems concerning classical mechanics, and electricity and magnetism. The results of the research are presented as follows:

Roughly 20% of the students answered the symbol and unit of the mass density while 50% of the students could not respond the symbol and unit of mass density.
Almost 15% of the students defined the symbol and unit of the pressure. 80% of the students could not write the formula of the pressure.
80% of the students determined the symbol and unit of the force. Approximately 45% of the students could not write the formula of the force based on Newton's Laws of Motion.
Roughly 65% of the students could not give any answer the symbol and unit of the torque.
Approximately 60% of the students did not describe the symbol and unit of the weight.
50% of students indicated the symbol and unit of the velocity and acceleration.
Approximately 85% of the students could not define the symbol, unit and formula of the angular velocity and the angular acceleration.
Almost 30% of the students identified the symbol and unit of the work. 70% of the students could not write the formula of the work.
Roughly 70% of the students could not indicate the symbol, unit, and formula of the heat.
20% of the students showed the symbol and unit of the power while 70% of the students could not write the formula of the power.
Approximately 70% of the students could not describe the symbol, unit, and formula of the impulse.
Nearly 80% of the students could not determine the symbol, unit, and formula of the momentum.
Almost all students did not determine the symbol, unit, and formula of the angular momentum.
Roughly 75% of the students responded the symbol, unit, and formula of the electric field strength.
Nearly 90% of the students could not determine the symbol, unit, and formula of the electric flux and electric flux density.
Many students described the symbol, unit, and formula of the electric potential, capacitance, electric current, and resistance.
Almost 50% of the students could not determine the symbol, unit, and formula of the current density.
Nearly 25% of the students described the symbol and unit of the magnetic flux density while 90% of the students could not write the formula of the magnetic flux density.
Roughly 70% of the students could not define the symbol, unit, and formula of the magnetic flux.
Many students did not determine the symbol, unit, and formula of the magnetic dipole moment, magnetization, and inductance.

Table 1: The Descriptive Analysis of Student Responses Related to Some Fundamental Physical Quantities' Symbol and Name for Physics I

Physical Quantities		SI Derived Units		Correct		Incorrect		No Answer
Quantity Name	Quantity Symbol*	Name in SI	Symbol in SI	N	%	N	%	N	%
Mass Density	ρ	kilogram per cubic meter	kg/m³	51	23.2	55	25.0	114	51.8
Pressure	P	pascal	Pa	37	16.8	58	26.6	125	56.8
Force	F	newton	N	171	77.7	2	0.9	47	21.4
Torque	τ	newton meter	Nm	47	21.4	27	12.3	146	66.4
Weight	W	kilogram meter per second squared	N	61	27.7	31	14.1	128	58.2
Velocity	v	meter per second	m/s	116	52.7	22	10.0	82	37.3
Acceleration	a	meter per second squared	m/s²	120	54.5	10	4.5	90	40.9
Angular Velocity	ω	radian per second	rad/s	16	7.3	21	9.5	183	83.2
Angular Acceleration	α	radian per second squared	rad/s²	11	5.0	18	8.1	191	86.8
Work	W	joule	J	68	30.9	49	22.3	103	46.8
Heat	Q	joule	J	47	21.4	16	7.3	157	71.4
Power	P	watt	W	43	19.5	64	29.1	113	51.4
Impulse	I	newton second	Ns	20	9.1	55	25.0	145	65.9
Momentum	p	kilogram meter per second	kgm/s	10	4.5	37	16.8	173	78.6
Angular Momentum	L	kilogram meter squared per second	kgm²/s	0	0	11	5.0	209	95.0

Note: *The vectors are indicated in bold. 15 fundamental physical quantities were selected for Physics I.

Table 2: The Descriptive Analysis of Student Responses Related to Some Fundamental Physical Quantities' Symbol and Name for Physics II

Physical Quantities		SI Derived Units		Correct		Incorrect		No Answer
Quantity Name	Quantity Symbol*	Name in SI	Symbol in SI	N	%	N	%	N	%
Electric Field Strength	E	volt per meter	V/m	167	75.9	14	6.36	39	17.7
Electric Flux	φ	newton square meter per coulumb	Nm²/C	7	3.18	13	5.91	200	90.1
Electric Flux Density	D	coulomb per square meter	C/A²	0	0	9	4.1	211	95.9
Electric Potential	V	volt	V	163	74.1	7	3.18	50	22.7
Capacitance	C	farad	F	175	79.5	20	9.1	25	11.3
Electric Current	I	ampere	A	180	81.8	29	13.1	11	5.0
Current Density	J	ampere per square meter	A/m²	83	37.7	18	8.18	119	54.1
Resistance	R	ohm	Ω	166	75.4	9	4.1	45	20.4
Magnetic Flux Density	B	tesla	T	52	23.6	23	10.4	145	65.9
Magnetic Flux	Φ_m	weber	Wb	35	15.9	24	10.9	161	73.1
Magnetic Dipole Moment	μ	ampere per square meter	A/m²	3	1.36	18	8.18	199	90.4
Magnetization	M	ampere per meter	A/m	2	0.9	13	5.91	205	93.1
Inductance	L	henry	H	11	5.0	7	3.18	202	91.8

Note: *The vectors are indicated in bold. 13 fundamental physical quantities were selected for Physics II.

SI units are divided into base and derived units. Base units consist of the meter, the kilogram, the second, the ampere, the kelvin, the mole, and the candela (Taylor & Thompson, 2008). Derived units "are formed as products of powers of the base units according to the algebraic relations linking the quantities concerned" (Taylor, 2001, p. 3).

Table 3: The Descriptive Analysis of Student Responses Related to Some Fundamental Physical Quantities' Formula and Name for Physics I and II

Some Derived Fundamental Physical Quantity		Correct		Incorrect		No Answer
Quantity Name	Formula*	N	%	N	%	N	%
Mass Density	ρ = m/V	67	30.5	42	19.1	111	50.5
Pressure	P = F/A	23	10.4	21	9.5	176	80.0
Force	F = ma	84	38.2	34	15.5	102	46.4
Torque	τ = Fd	83	37.7	40	18.2	97	44.1
Weight	W = mg	83	37.7	57	25.9	80	36.4
Velocity	v = Δx/Δt	87	39.5	9	4.1	124	56.4
Acceleration	a= Δv/Δt	87	39.5	10	4.5	123	55.9
Angular Velocity	ω = dθ/dt	18	8.2	14	6.4	188	85.5
Angular Acceleration	α = d²θ/dt²	13	5.9	17	7.7	190	86.3
Work	W = F_x Δx	48	21.8	12	5.5	160	72.7
Heat	Q = mcΔT	31	14.1	22	10.0	167	75.9
Power	P = W/t	39	17.7	27	12.3	154	70.0
Impulse	I = FΔt	41	18.6	18	8.2	161	73.2
Momentum	p = mv	20	9.1	21	9.5	179	81.4
Angular Momentum	L = Iω	0	0	0	0	220	100
Electric Field Strength	E = F/q	174	79.1	17	7.72	29	13.3
Electric Flux		3	1.36	19	8.63	198	90
Electric Flux Density	D = εE	0	0	9	4.1	211	95.9
Electric Potential	V = kq/r	161	73.1	13	5.9	46	20.9
Capacitance	C = q/V	168	76.3	14	6.3	38	17.2
Electric Current	I= ΔQ/Δt	189	85.9	17	7.72	14	6.36
Current Density	J = I/A	92	41.8	23	10.4	105	47.7
Resistance	R = V/I	173	78.6	11	5.0	36	16.3
Magnetic Flux Density	B = μH	5	2.27	15	6.81	200	90.1
Magnetic Flux		46	20.9	17	7.72	157	71.3
Magnetic Dipole Moment		0	0	24	10.9	196	89.1
Magnetization	M = dμ/dV	2	0.9	15	6.81	203	92.2
Inductance	L = Φ_m	2	0.9	12	5.45	206	93.6

* The vectors are indicated in bold. The book of Tipler & Mosca (2008) was used for the formula of fundamental physical quantities.

Table 4 shows cognitive and affective opinion of the students on the symbol, unit, and formula of the fundamental physical quantities. The cognitive and affective opinion of the students were generally evaluated respectively, approximately 85% of the students thought in terms of the cognitive opinion of the students that the usage of symbol, unit, and formula of the fundamental physical quantities was not useful to solve quantitative and qualitative problems. The essential keys of the fundamental physical quantities did not help to enhance their problem solving skills. Besides they did not make an effort to learn the relationships between symbol and unit, and formula of the fundamental physical quantities. Many students believed in terms of the affective opinion of the students that the usage of the essential keys of the fundamental physical quantities was a waste of time, they did not want to solve the problems by using the essential keys, besides the essential keys do not make sense to learn the students.

Table 4. The cognitive and affective opinion of the students on the symbol, unit, and formula (S/U/F) of some fundamental physical quantities

	*Positive*		*Negative*
Cognitive Opinion	N	%	N	%
It provides hints for problem solving.	8	26.67	22	73.33
It helps to connect among parameters.	4	13.33	26	86.67
It helps to recall the formula.	5	16.67	25	83.33
It facilitates to understand the physical concepts.	6	20.00	24	80.00
It makes a sense.	4	13.33	26	86.67
It helps to solve problems.	5	16.67	25	83.33
It helps to enhance problem solving skills.	3	10.00	27	90.00
Affective Opinion
Students enjoy performing mathematical operations.	2	6.67	28	93.33
Students take pleasure in problem solving.	2	6.67	28	93.33
Students are interested in problem solving.	3	10.00	27	90.00
Students get bored with the usage of the essential keys.	26	86.67	4	13.33
Students use the essential keys in their daily lives.	2	6.67	28	93.33
Students like to deal with the essential keys.	2	6.67	28	93.33
Students feel comfortable with the usage of the essential keys.	4	13.33	26	86.67
Students think that the usage of the essential keys is a waste of time.	28	93.33	2	6.67
Students think that the usage of the essential keys is entertaining.	4	13.33	26	86.67