Decline in enrollment in science and technology education: From the perspectives of Mauritian educators

Hemraj Ramsurrun; Roushdat Elaheebocus; Aatish Chiniah; Hemraj Ramsurrun; Roushdat Elaheebocus; Aatish Chiniah

doi:10.3934/steme.2025001

STEM Education

2025, Volume 5, Issue 1: 1-18. doi: 10.3934/steme.2025001

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Research article

Decline in enrollment in science and technology education: From the perspectives of Mauritian educators

Department of Digital Technologies, University of Mauritius, Mauritius; hemraj.ramsurrun1@umail.uom.ac.mu; r.elaheebocus@uom.ac.mu; a.chiniah@uom.ac.mu

Academic Editor: Jun Shen

Received: 14 July 2024 Revised: 09 October 2024 Accepted: 17 October 2024 Published: 03 December 2024

The decline in participation in science and technology education is widely recognized as a growing global phenomenon. Literature, however, has a dearth of insights from Small Island Developing States. Moreover, educators are essential in bridging the theory-practice gap in science and technology education, but the perspectives of educators have been less considered. We used a mixed methodology approach to explore the perceptions of educators on the decline in enrollment in science and technology education in the Republic of Mauritius. A total of 129 educators responded to a survey to identify possible factors influencing the decline and potential measures to arrest this decline. A lack of career knowledge, perceptions of low job prospects, and low salary expectations are considered the major influencing factors of the decline. Advice and recounting experiences from peers were also found to significantly influence subject choice among students. Educators advocate for enhancing the teaching and learning of students as possible strategies amongst others to boost participation in science and technology education.
- enrollment decline,
- gross enrollment ratio,
- factors of decline,
- science and technology education,
- teaching and learning,
- STEM
Citation: Hemraj Ramsurrun, Roushdat Elaheebocus, Aatish Chiniah. Decline in enrollment in science and technology education: From the perspectives of Mauritian educators[J]. STEM Education, 2025, 5(1): 1-18. doi: 10.3934/steme.2025001

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Abstract

The decline in participation in science and technology education is widely recognized as a growing global phenomenon. Literature, however, has a dearth of insights from Small Island Developing States. Moreover, educators are essential in bridging the theory-practice gap in science and technology education, but the perspectives of educators have been less considered. We used a mixed methodology approach to explore the perceptions of educators on the decline in enrollment in science and technology education in the Republic of Mauritius. A total of 129 educators responded to a survey to identify possible factors influencing the decline and potential measures to arrest this decline. A lack of career knowledge, perceptions of low job prospects, and low salary expectations are considered the major influencing factors of the decline. Advice and recounting experiences from peers were also found to significantly influence subject choice among students. Educators advocate for enhancing the teaching and learning of students as possible strategies amongst others to boost participation in science and technology education.

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Author's biography Hemraj Ramsurrun is currently a research student in the Faculty of Information, Communication and Digital Technologies at the University of Mauritius. His interests include digital tools and technologies and informal STEM education; Roushdat Elaheebocus is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Information, Communication, and Digital Technologies at the University of Mauritius. He holds a PhD in Computer Science, and his research spans digital technologies, exergaming, and the Internet of Things (IoT). He is particularly interested in how these technologies can be applied in various fields, including education, health, and social computing, to foster innovation and improve user engagement; Aatish Chiniah is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Information, Communication and Digital Technologies, University of Mauritius. He completed his PhD in the area of Cloud Storage. His area of research includes Networking, Mobile and Cloud Computing as well as Technology Adoption

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