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Widening Participation in Physics
Peter MainMeeting of HE Networks Institute of Physics14 May [email protected], www.iop.org
Plan
Background
Socio-economic status (SES)
Gender
Final Remarks
Background
In 2013, 33,636 entrants to HE held A-level physics, 86% of whom also had A-level maths
In 2013, 35,569 obtained A-level Physics
So, 95% of those with A-level physics and 98% of those with physics + maths went to university
It is impossible to widen participation from the current A-level pool without stealing from other subjects
What did they do with M and P A-levels in 2013?
Overall Male FemaleCourse destination % Course destination % Course destination %
Mechanical Engineering 12.5 Mechanical Engineering 14.8 Physics 10.2
Physics 11.6 Physics 12.0 Pre-clinical Medicine 7.0
Civil Engineering 5.2 Civil Engineering 5.7 Chemistry 5.3
Electronic and Electrical Engineering
4.5 Computer Science 5.4 Mathematics 4.8
Computer Science 4.5Electronic and Electrical Engineering
5.3 Mechanical Engineering 4.7
Aerospace Engineering 4.4 Aerospace Engineering 5.1 Architecture 4.3
Chemistry 4.4 Chemistry 4.1Chemical, Process and Energy Engineering
4.2
Mathematics 4.2 Mathematics 4.0 Civil Engineering 3.8
Pre-clinical Medicine 4.1 General Engineering 3.9Combs of 3 subjects, or other general courses
3.4
Chemical, Process and Energy Engineering
4.0Chemical, Process and Energy Engineering
3.9Combinations within Business & Administration Studies
2.6
Issues for Physics WP
Socio-economic status (SES)
Gender
Ethnicity Complex Not so specific to physics; strong overlap with SES Local rather than generic issues
For all subjects
Huge differences in quintiles – pupils from the highest are 3 times more likely to go to university and 10 times more likely to go to to a high-status university than those in the lowest
More than half that effect can be explained by school background and prior attainment at KS2
The rest can be explained by prior attainment at KS4
For Physics
Participation at A-level massively dependent on SES: attainment even more so.
Of those that do go to university, the fraction that do physics is heavily dependent on SES
Most of the explanation for this difference in participation occurs by KS2
Note that controlling for KS4 and KS5 performance means that lower SES HE participants are more likely to do physics
Attainment (All Subjects)
Effect of SES is persistent even after all controls are taken into account (i.e. even after allowing for everything, low SES students, drop out more, achieve less)
However, after compensating for KS4 (and KS5) results, a student from a low performing school will, on average, outperform a student from a high performing school
Institute of Physics work
Literature review on barriers to STEM participation for students from disadvantaged backgrounds
Report of a case study from a school in Newcastle
Elements of Disadvantage
• Attainment in primary school• Setting• Science capital• Understanding the university
system• Room (heated) to do homework• Books at home• Computer at home• Sibling role models• Parental role models• Understanding career pathways• Contacts for internships
• Parental understanding of educational system
• Financial support• Extra-curricular activities• Quality of teachers• Behaviour problems in school• Peer group pressure• Diet• Holidays and breaks
The best way to remove the effects ofinequity is to remove the inequity. Next best is to improve teaching
Some Suggestions from the Review
Peer learning Parental engagement is embedded with numerous contexts Structured programmes (e.g. homework clubs) with high-level support Avoid reinforcing stereotypes e.g. about “difficult” subjects Develop long-term relationships between pupils and role models who are
“like them” Make science relevant to society – discuss science in a social context
Suggestions from Review: Careers Advice
Start as early as possible (but be careful!) Bespoke to the student and sensitive to current aspirations, which are often unrealistic Concentrates on next stage of education – do not be too specific and do not talk only of
STEM jobs Pro-active and bespoke work placements Honest and realistic information on destinations, including HE, and combinations of
subjects Provide information on the funding system in HE, including bursaries
Gender: the problem
% Female entry to A-level subjects in 2013
To “beat” the woeful 20% ratio in a state co-ed, have to challenge gender across the board
Recent research on (not) choosing science A-levels
No evidence for any outreach event changing decisions about courses
Gender – girls have to do more ‘identity work’ to balance science aspirations (implications for role models)
Relationships (with significant others) are more important than enrichments
Children put off aspiring to science due to popular view as ‘brainy’
Girls lack confidence in GCSE performance
Some new ideas to overcome gender bias
• Building confidence and owning the problem• Help them own the problem instead of seeing them as the problem• Girls do better than boys at physics – let them know• Help them build relationship with “significant other” (see later)
• Improve the classroom experience• Curriculum Context• Group work and practical work• Tailored advice on progression routes• Classroom management
• Changing the school culture• Changing the attitude of all departments in a school• Schools have a gender equality duty• Working with Ofsted on this
Final Remarks: Gender Of the two WP areas gender should be easier to address because girls
can cope with the physics
Conventional outreach activities, based around raising interest in science in workshops with role models, have been shown not to work
Activities to attract more girls into A-level physics will succeed only if they address the reasons why choices are made: Gender stereotyping in all subjects Confidence issues Long term, empathetic relationships with role models etc.
Final Remarks: SES No point in squabbling with each other for A-level people: need to
increase A-level numbers
Most of the damage is done by KS2 and is almost certainly due to a lack of basic literacy and numeracy
But some indication that working with years 8 -11 can make a difference
Best approach is likely to involve long-term relationships with underachieving schools
Final Remarks SES
Also evidence for the high-status targeting the better pupils from underachieving schools
Real danger that conventional outreach on excitement and interest will be counterproductive…
…particularly if it reinforces the idea that physics is hard.
Ways forward?
Creating routes in that do not involve A-level maths and physics? (See UCL Civil Engineering)
Working together in a coherent programme based on the best evidence available?
Physics Outreach Project
