TY - JOUR
T1 - The Relevance of Radiochemistry
T2 - Perceptions of Future Radiochemists
AU - Pernaa, Johannes
AU - Law, Gareth
AU - Ranjan, Sanjeev
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - Radiochemistry faces a well-documented training and recruitment crisis. Older radiochemists are retiring, and fewer young people are studying radiochemistry. In turn, this is leading to a shortage in newly qualified radiochemists, as well as a loss of historical knowledge (as know-how is often not passed-on). Here, we analyzed the relevance of the study of radiochemistry in higher education through future radiochemists’ perceptions. Our objective was to provide insights into future radiochemists’ thinking and provide some clear examples on how to support relevance. A qualitative study was conducted through a research question: What perceptions of relevance do future radiochemists experience about radiochemistry studies and radiochemistry as a field? We used the relevance model of Stuckey et al. (2013) as the relevance framework. This was selected because it offers a comprehensive definition of relevance including individual, societal, and vocational dimensions. The data were gathered from postgraduate radiochemistry students (masters and Ph.D. level) through use of a qualitative questionnaire that was designed using the selected relevance framework. In total, 15 future radiochemists participated in the study. The data were analyzed through theory-based content analysis using the selected relevance framework. According to our data, future radiochemists experience their university study and the chemistry field as being highly relevant. They experienced that radiochemistry topics are interesting (individual relevance), the field has great societal impact through radiopharmaceuticals, energy solutions, and environmental problem-solving (societal relevance), and that their professional future was clear, for example, a job in the nuclear industry (vocational relevance). These results can be used in student recruitment and in developing radiochemistry teaching toward a more relevance-oriented direction.
AB - Radiochemistry faces a well-documented training and recruitment crisis. Older radiochemists are retiring, and fewer young people are studying radiochemistry. In turn, this is leading to a shortage in newly qualified radiochemists, as well as a loss of historical knowledge (as know-how is often not passed-on). Here, we analyzed the relevance of the study of radiochemistry in higher education through future radiochemists’ perceptions. Our objective was to provide insights into future radiochemists’ thinking and provide some clear examples on how to support relevance. A qualitative study was conducted through a research question: What perceptions of relevance do future radiochemists experience about radiochemistry studies and radiochemistry as a field? We used the relevance model of Stuckey et al. (2013) as the relevance framework. This was selected because it offers a comprehensive definition of relevance including individual, societal, and vocational dimensions. The data were gathered from postgraduate radiochemistry students (masters and Ph.D. level) through use of a qualitative questionnaire that was designed using the selected relevance framework. In total, 15 future radiochemists participated in the study. The data were analyzed through theory-based content analysis using the selected relevance framework. According to our data, future radiochemists experience their university study and the chemistry field as being highly relevant. They experienced that radiochemistry topics are interesting (individual relevance), the field has great societal impact through radiopharmaceuticals, energy solutions, and environmental problem-solving (societal relevance), and that their professional future was clear, for example, a job in the nuclear industry (vocational relevance). These results can be used in student recruitment and in developing radiochemistry teaching toward a more relevance-oriented direction.
KW - 116 Chemical sciences
KW - kemian opetuksen tutkimus
KW - relevanssi
KW - radiokemia
KW - chemical education research
KW - relevance
KW - radiochemistry
KW - nuclear chemistry
KW - forskning om kemisk utbildning
KW - relevans
KW - radiokemi
KW - nukleär kemi
U2 - 10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c01216
DO - 10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c01216
M3 - Article
VL - 98
SP - 426
EP - 433
JO - Journal of Chemical Education
JF - Journal of Chemical Education
SN - 0021-9584
IS - 2
ER -