The career plans of science-talented rural adolescent girls

Relations between parent attitudes, intrinsic value of science, peer suppor t available activities, and preference for future science careers were exam ined for science-talented, rural, adolescent females. Two hundred and twent y 9th-12th-grade girls and their mothers responded to questionnaires about science courses, plans for future courses and college majors, perceptions o f the girls' abilities in science, and numerous supports and deterrents for continued interest in science areas. Current intrinsic interest in science was most strongly related to preferring a science career, but previous exp eriences with science (measured by grade in school, science CPA, friends' s upport for science, and extracurricular science activities) and socializers ' attitudes (measured by mothers' perceptions of the value of science for w omen and of their daughters' abilities) were also related. The discussion h ighlights the importance of providing activities and other supports to main tain girls' interests in science in a rural environment.