Ethnicity

Focus-group work

Study to investigate the factors affecting A-level and undergraduate subject choices by ethnic group

The Institute of Physics and Royal Society of Chemistry have commissioned a study to look at the factors affecting A-level and undergraduate subject choices by ethnic group.

Preliminary findings from the report indicate that there is a clear hierarchy of influences acting on BME students’ decisions to study physics and chemistry:

• High influence factors are: enjoyment of chemistry and physics; future ambitions; perceptions of possible careers with physics or chemistry degrees, and the relevance of physics/chemistry study to life.
• Medium influence factors are: the way physics and chemistry are taught; physics and chemistry teachers; images of scientists and the work they do, and family.
• Low influence factors are: the difficulty of physics/chemistry; role models; careers advisors, and peers.

The report also shows that:

• certain factors are more influential for some ethnic groups than others, e.g. the perceptions of the possible careers achievable with a physics and chemistry degree, mostly influenced young people away from physics and chemistry;
• females are more likely than males to be influenced to choose physics and chemistry by their enjoyment of the subjects, and to be influenced to drop them by their perceived difficulty;
• those studying chemistry at A-level re more likely than those studying physics to see their study of the subject as a stepping stone to a career outside the subject (e.g. medicine);
• undergraduates are more likely than A-level students to have positive views of careers available with a physics and chemistry degree, the relevance of physics and chemistry to life, as well as scientists and the work they do.

Download full report

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