Examining the Possible Factors Related to and Influencing the Sumter School District High School Students' Decisions to Enroll in Physics Courses

Out of a total high school student population of 4740 in the Sumter School District (SSD) in Sumter, South Carolina, only 167 were enrolled in a physics course in the Fall 2014 semester. That constituted 3.52{\%} of that population. Enrollment in physics courses during Spring 2015 was 75, which constituted 1.63{\%} of the total high school student population of 4593. As advised by Lori Smith, Coordinator of Science and Fine Arts of SSD, enrollment in physics courses was insufficient. Since physics is a requirement for most science and engineering degrees, not having enrolled in a physics course during high school could ultimately impede a student's pursuit of such majors during college. This project aims to explore the factors that may have been related to or may have influenced the SSD high school students' decisions to enroll in physics courses. This was achieved by conducting an electronic survey among voluntary participants from the seniors of SSD, then performing a quantitative analysis of the results. These results and the conclusions drawn are intended to help educators increase enrollment in physics courses in Sumter and other school districts.