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Three Reasons Why Students Shy Away from Natural Sciences

Many teachers believe that the reason students are reluctant to choose natural sciences isn’t just because only three subjects are required for high school entrance exams, but also due to the test-oriented mindset, teaching methods, and lack of early career guidance at the lower secondary level.

This year, all provinces have announced the subjects for the high school entrance exam. Most will test math, literature, and English, while Ha Giang Province has opted for history and geography as the third subject. In previous years, the majority of provinces also used a three-subject exam format for admission into grade 10.

Given this context, Professor Do Duc Thai from Hanoi National University of Education, who heads the national math curriculum, argues that change is urgently needed. He warns that the current exam structure leads both teachers and students to neglect the natural sciences, which can throw off the balance in university education and result in a shortage of human resources in science, technology, and digital transformation.

However, many educators disagree. While they acknowledge that the exam format has some influence on students’ subject choices in high school and beyond, they don’t see it as the root cause.

Nguyen Thi Huong, a middle school natural sciences teacher in Ha Giang, noted that last year’s high school entrance exam in the province included only math and literature, while this year added history and geography. Schools typically begin exam prep in the second semester of 9th grade, mainly in afternoon sessions. Morning classes still follow the regular schedule, covering all required subjects.

“For non-exam subjects, the pressure is lighter. Tests are more basic but still sufficient to assess students’ learning,” Ms. Huong said. “So we can’t just say that students stop learning other subjects because of the three-subject exam.”

Le Quang Tri, Director of the Tien Giang Department of Education and Training, also emphasized that regardless of which subjects are tested, students must still complete the full lower secondary curriculum.

Dr. Tran Nam Dung, vice principal of the High School for Gifted Students at Vietnam National University in Ho Chi Minh City, believes the deeper issue is the exam-focused mindset, not the specific subjects being tested.

“If we added natural sciences to the entrance exam, students would cram those subjects too—but that doesn’t mean they’ll choose them later on,” he said. He believes the solution lies in shifting the mindset of parents, students, and teachers by reducing the pressure of entrance exams. Currently, these exams are overly stressful, especially in big cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

“A less intense grade 10 exam would make teaching and learning at the lower secondary level more balanced. In provinces where all students have access to high school, selection could be done by academic records instead of testing,” Dr. Dung said.

Another key issue is that teaching methods at the lower secondary level often fail to spark student interest or passion for the sciences.

Both Mr. Dung and Mr. Tri believe that student passion for a subject comes from many factors, but the teacher’s role is crucial.

“Usually, students tend to favor subjects taught in an engaging and easy-to-understand way,” Mr. Tri explained. “When students are inspired and curious, they dig deeper into the subject.”

Ms. Huong observed this clearly with the implementation of the 2018 general education curriculum, which combines physics, chemistry, and biology into an integrated natural sciences course in middle school. At her school, no one teacher can teach all three subjects, so each teacher handles their own specialty.

“For example, when a physics teacher covers the biology section, they can only teach at a basic level. It’s hard to inspire students,” she said. “The lessons feel disjointed and confusing. Naturally, students lose interest and don’t choose these subjects later in high school.”

Another factor influencing students’ decisions is career orientation—or the lack of it. Experts argue that career guidance should begin in middle school since students must start choosing their high school subjects by grade 10, which will eventually determine their university entrance exam subjects and career paths.

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