Policy
Girls in Physics - Key Messages
The under representation of girls in physics post-16 is a serious issue for the UK and in particular for the STEM community. The Institute believes:
- Any changes to the physics curriculum should be informed by an understanding of the gender issues and the impact of changes on girls must be monitored.
- A good supply of well qualified and enthusiastic Physics teachers is vital, because girls, who often lack familiarity with the situations and activities that are common in physics, require more support to negotiate shared meanings and are therefore more sensitive to poor teaching than boys.
- The physics curriculum must develop students' understanding of how the physics they are learning relates to themselves, impacts on the modern world and opens up a range of professional and technical careers.
- The whole assessment process must not introduce barriers to the participation of girls in physics.
Girls are under-represented in physics after the age of 16. In 2005 physics was the 12th most-popular A-level in the UK, with 28 119 candidates. Of these, 21 922 were male, making physics the sixth most-popular A-level subject for boys behind maths (32 719), general studies (28 083), English (26 332), history (22 342) and biology (22 046). For girls, physics was the 19th most-common A-level choice. Of those who took physics A-level, 34% achieved an A grade. In 2005 only 14% of girls who were awarded an A* or A for GCSE Double Award Science or Physics sat A-level physics. In other words there is a very substantial number of girls who have the ability to do well at physics but who are choosing not to study the subject post-16.
The Institute of Physics commissioned a review to try and understand the causes of this problem. Drawing on this review a teachers’ guide and two videos were produced to help teachers to find ways of encouraging more girls to study Physics.
Girls in the Physics Classroom: A Teachers’ Guide for Action
Girls in the Physics Classroom: Videos
The Institute has been working with the National Network of Science Learning Centres, funded by the DCSF, on an action research programme to share information on successful teaching and learning strategies to engage girls with physics. The second phase,in 2008, enabled teachers from 100 schools to participate. The evaluation aimed to gauge the success of the interventions that schools undertook as part of the project.
The Department of Children Schools and Families have published two reports from the Girls into Physics: Action Research evaluation. The Research Brief contains recommendations from the project and highlights the key findings of the evaluation. The full Research Report contains the theory of change model developed for the evaluation, rich data from teachers and students and further analysis of key issues which is useful for informing cpd development using action research approaches with teachers and students.
Documents are available to download via the links below:
1. Research Brief DSCF-RB103 Girls into Physics: Action Research
http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/DCSF-RB103.pdf
2. Full Research Report DCSF-RR103 Girls into Physics Action Research
http://www.dcsf.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/DCSF-RR103(R).pdf
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