12th June 2014 9:00
By Blue Tutors
A study conducted by teachers has shown that some of the brightest girls taking AS level physics drop the subject without obtaining the full A Level. According to the study, physics has one of the highest dropout rates between AS level and A2, particularly amongst girls. Teachers involved in the study have said that it is particularly difficult to see the brightest girls drop the subject, and want to discover what in particular is putting them off. This year, teachers involved in the study will attempt to ascertain the attitudes towards physics which might explain the dropout rate.
The study, created by a group of physics teachers after a discussion on an online physics education forum, is designed to find out why girls are more likely than boys to drop the subject, despite getting higher grades. By the A2 year, only a fifth of students taking physics are female, with a dropout rate of 46.7% between AS and A2 for girls, compared to 37.8% for boys. On average, girls achieve better grades in physics than boys, a fact which prompted investigations into their reasons for dropping out. The study also confirmed that girls perform better than boys where they do go on to A2.
The survey designed by physics teachers asks boys and girls how their attitudes towards the subject has changed, charting whether they enjoyed studying the subject, or whether they felt that taking the subject had been a mistake. It also investigates what elements of the course the students found challenging, looking in particular at how students feel about the maths element of the course. So far the study has found that girls are often concerned that they will not achieve the grade they want in the subject and so do not risk taking it further. Others answered that they were put off by the male-dominated environment, and experienced a general lack of confidence.