Empowering Girls in Physics: A Path to Gender Equity

1. Girls in PhysicsVictoria MillarMelbourne Girls’ CollegeDr Maurizio ToscanoFaculty of Education, The University of Melbourne Australian School Innovation in Science, Technology and Mathematics (ASISTM) Project

2. Outline • The Girls In Physics Project • IOP Report • Local Context – VCAA Data • Issues and Discussion

3. The Girls in Physics Project • Australian School Innovation in Science, Technology and Mathematics (ASISTM) Grant • Funding to improve the retention of girls into post compulsory physics

4. Cluster • Canterbury Girls’ Secondary College • MacRobertson Girls’ High School • Matthew Flinders Girls’ Secondary College • Melbourne Girls’ College • Mentone Girls’ Secondary College • Preston Girls’ Secondary College • The School of Physics, The University of Melbourne • Faculty of Education, The University of Melbourne

5. Our Aims • Address the educational and social factors affecting girls’ choice to undertake post-compulsory physics. • Raise the profile of physics amongst girls. • PD for non-physics trained science teachers.

6. How? • Teachers will receive high quality, intensive professional development. • Non physics trained teachers work with DipEd students to develop units of work for 7-10 • A collection of resources and teaching material will be established online.

7. Institute of Physics Report • IOP has commissioned two reports written by Liz Whitelegg and Patricia Murphy. • The first is a comprehensive review of the last 30 years of research into girls and physics • The second is a more qualitative survey of best practice in physics teaching

8. Background IOP commissioned report because: • Decade of decline in recruitment to A-level physics, particularly for girls • Closure of University Physics departments • Physics identified as a ‘vulnerable strategic subject’

9. Areas Covered • Interests, Motivation, Course Choices and Career Aspirations • Relevance and Curriculum Interventions • Teacher Effects • Single Sex School and Groupings • Measures and Perceptions of Difficulty

10. Interest and Motivation • Interest and enjoyment alone not sufficient reasons to continue studying physics • Prior achievement important influence on course choices • Males rate themselves as more successful learners – more willing to consider maths and science irrespective of their success

11. Relevance and Curriculum • Girls, more than boys, consider that physical sciences are not personally relevant • What boys pay attention to and engage with is generally valued and judged relevant in physics • Girls and boys have been taught to value different things • Students are prejudiced against context based learning

12. Context-Based Approach • There is evidence to show that this approach better meets the needs of all students • Promotes discussion and critique between students and teachers

13. Teacher Effects • Supportive teacher-student relationships are more important for girls than boys • Boys’ as a group receive more teacher attention than girls • Feedback differs – girls receive feedback on quality of work; boys on behaviour.  This allows boys to retain confidence in their ability • Teachers of physics hold lower expectations for girls

14. Single Sex Schooling and Groupings • Only when pedagogy and curriculum are effective and inclusive and teachers are gender sensitive do single-sex groupings enhance girls’ achievement and self-concept • Decline in interest and enjoyment attributed to curriculum experience (content overload), particularly in top groups, rather than single/mixed sex schooling.

15. Measures and Perceptions of Difficulty • Girls expect grades lower than they achieve • Correlation between maths and physics – both perceived as difficult • Students’ perception of physics as difficult increases with age

16. Recommendations • Interventions needs to come early • Students’ views need to be addressed • Long term evaluation of physics curriculum • Pedagogic changes • Further research into the basis for the belief in the difficulty of physics • Access to achievement data

18. Unit 3 Exam 2004

19. Unit 4 Exam 2004

20. Issues and Discussion • The Review findings reveal a complex problem that limits students’, particularly girls’, access to physics • This leads to girls’ increased sense of inadequacy and the growing belief of the difficulty in the subject

21. Issues and Discussion • Many factors in physics curriculum, teaching and assessment that undermine or deny girls’ sense of competency • Perceptions of competence alone not sufficient to influence girls’ choices – girls need to perceive a future in physics that will help girls achieve their goals.

22. Victoria Millar vmillar@mgc.vic.edu.au Maurizio Toscano m.toscano@unimelb.edu.au