CHANGES IN PREFERENCE FOR AND PERCEPTIONS OF RELATIVE IMPORTANCE OF SUBJECTS DURING A PERIOD OF EDUCATIONAL-REFORM

This research formed phase 1 of the Economic and Social Research Counc il (ESRC) project 'Pupils' Approaches to Subject Option Choices' and i s a near repeat of a project carried out in the mid-1980s, thus allowi ng for a comparison of approaches to subject choice a decade apart, co mparing the situation pre-and post-National Curriculum implementation. The simple two-part questionnaire, completed by 1600 children in 11 s chools, shows the differences across time and between-school differenc es in subject preference, but little instability in perceptions Of sub ject importance. Some useful additional data, giving student's reasons for liking subjects and finding subjects important, were obtained fro m interviews in four schools which formed phase 2 of the project. Comp arisons are drawn with the data collected in 1984 on a similar basis. Issues of concern are highlighted with respect to particular subjects and to students' stated reasons for liking subjects or finding them im portant, with regard to how this might relate to their subsequent subj ect choices and career development.