Futurising science education: students’ experiences from a course on futures thinking and quantum computing

Abstract To promote students’ value-based agency, responsible science and sustainability, education must address how students think about their personal collective futures. However, research has shown that young people find it difficult to fully relate the future its possibilities, few studies have focused on potential of foster futures thinking agency. We report a project further explored this by developing future-oriented courses drawing field studies. Phenomenographic analysis was used interview data see what changes upper-secondary school saw in perceptions agentic orientations after attending course which adapted skills context quantum computing technological approaches global problems. The results show perceiving development as more positive but also unpredictable, seeing possibilities for agency clearer promising (especially identifying with peers or aspired career paths), feeling deeper connection otherwise vague idea Students felt they had learned question deterministic creatively own lives well non-technological solutions Both physics opened new perspectives uncertainty probabilistic thinking. Our provide validation approach education, highlight essential synergies between skills, authentic socio-scientific issues current age.