Limitless Potential: Overcoming Bias and Stereotypes in STEM Education
Celebrating Achievements and Addressing Educational Challenges
Resilience and Disrupted Education
As we celebrate the achievements of our young people and reflect on their resilience through a disrupted education cycle, we need to consider the differences between the students in our cohorts.
Although the overall data has returned to the 2019 levels, the mix of the data has not.
Gender Disparities in Sciences
Varied Performance Trends
Girls still outperform boys at the highest grades in biology and chemistry, but they are falling further behind in physics, with the gap between males and females widening from 3.9% in 2019 to 5.5% in 2023 (JCQ, 2023).
This is at odds with a 7/A+ gender gap across all GCSEs which is at its narrowest since 2009 (Kershaw, 2023).
Linked Challenges in Physics and Mathematics
There is an obvious link between physics and mathematics, where the gap has also widened slightly from 1% in 2019 to 1.8% in 2023 (JCQ, 2023). An increase that is not large enough to explain the gap in physics.
Geographical Disparities in Education
Growing Divide between North and South
More significantly, the gap between pupils in the North of England and those in London has widened (Ofqual, 2023). This is incredibly concerning, affecting the life chances of young people, and restricting the diversity of talent in STEM careers.
Nurturing Equity: Teacher's Role
Empowering Change
Strategies for narrowing this gap between London, the North and many coastal communities will largely be affected by national government policy, but what can we do as teachers to help reduce the widening gap between the genders in the highest physics grades?
Young people are ‘made to feel they can’t do physics’
In 2020, the Institute of Physics began its ‘Limitless’ campaign, publishing a report called ‘Support young people to change the world’. They found that many young people are made to feel that they cannot do physics, that physics is too difficult and is not creative. Many girls are told that physics is more suited to boys, and young people are told that physics is not for them based on their ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, and social background (IOP, 2020). If you have any involvement in science, as a teacher, head of department, line manager or member of the leadership team, I would strongly suggest you read the report. Some of the student quotes are particularly poignant:
“My dad told me not to study physics because it wasn’t for women and the maths was too hard”.
“My A-level teacher told me that girls didn’t tend to be very good at physics, so I might struggle at uni. He said there was only one girl on his undergraduate course and that she wasn’t very good.”
“I was told by my family that I wasn’t going to be good at maths, because none of them were. And I should study English or history or take up a trade. When I tried to take a physics course, they refused to sign off on it, as they ‘weren’t going to sign on a course I’d obviously fail out of’.”
Creating Change: Strategies for Inclusive Physics Education
So, what can we do? Judging by the quotes above, it is clear the negative influence can come from trusted adults, the parents and carers and teachers. We need to ask ourselves questions about our data and how we talk to students about science, particularly biology with boys and physics with girls. A good starting point is to consider the following:
- What is the gender balance in your science results? Are girls underachieving in physics compared to biology, chemistry, and mathematics? Remember to look at the outcomes of the physics papers in the science double award.
- What questions on the physics papers were particularly problematic?
- What proportion of your highest achieving boys and girls go on to study physics and biology at A-level? Is there a gender imbalance? Why is this the case?
- What do your students think about physics at KS3, KS4 & KS5? What are their perceptions about its difficulty?
- Is physics taught by non-specialists? If so, what CPD is in place to support them? Do the teachers know the common misconceptions and error students make? Do they know the best analogies, models, and explanations to use?
- Have you considered approaching STEM Learning (CPD (stem.org.uk)), the Institute of Physics (IOPSpark), or the Ogden Trust (Subject Knowledge for Physics Teaching - The Ogden Trust) for CPD training and support?
References:
IOP (2020) Limitless report: Support young people to change the world. Available from: IOP Limit Less report 2020
JCQ (2023) GCSE (Full Course) Results Summer 2023 v1.1 Available from: Examination results - JCQ Joint Council for Qualifications
Kershaw, A. (2023) GCSE gender gap at its narrowest in 14 years. [25th August] Evening Standard. Available from: GCSE gender gap at its narrowest in 14 years | Evening Standard
Ofqual (2023) Map of GCSE (9 to 1) grade outcomes by county in England. Available from: Map of GCSE (9 to 1) grade outcomes by county in England (ofqual.gov.uk)
