To choose or not to choose – is there anything interesting: Finnish girls’ and boys’ opinions about physics

Kalle Juuti

: : Kalle Juuti : : : : Sivu 2

::

16.5.2004

Background

Increasing the number of people in non-traditional occupations

has been seen as a way to develop a more equal society.

There are few girls in technical and science-related occupations,

but more qualified personnel are needed

Pupils’ opinions or benchmarking?

Two surveys:

• Reasons to choose

• Interest in context

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16.5.2004

Predictors for the choice of scienceFuture relevance (future studies or occupation)

Interest in the contents of science subjects

Interest in a context where certain science domain is met

Interest in an activity type of students or method of

studying subject or teaching methods used

Achievement

Difficulty and appreciation of the topic

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Research questions

1. How interested are pupils in studying physics in this

context?

2. How do boys’ and girls’ interests to study physics differ

in this context?

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Methods for questions 1 and 2

• Survey, Finnish secondary schools, 3626 pupils, age

15,

• Pupils were asked to state: “How interested are you in

learning about the following?” Items were four-scaled

from not interested to very interested. Altogether, there

were 35 items probing interest.

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Contexts• Ideal science context: “Linear and circular motion caused by forces”

• Science and technology in society context: “Traffic safety (acceleration and braking)”

• Technical application context: “Forces acting in bridges, and building and planning of structures”

• Human being context: “Forces acting in muscles when using them in sports”

• Investigation context: “Studying linear and circular motion and how they are caused by different forces”

• Technology, design and construction context: “Making a mechanical toy, like a balancing object”

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16.5.2004

Context sum variable

If a respondent stated not interested for every context item,

he or she gave the sum variable score 1, and if a

respondent stated very interested in every item, he or

she gave the sum variable score 4

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16.5.2004

Ideal science context

Interest score

4,003,002,001,00

Co

un

t

300

200

100

0

girl or boy

girl

boy

Meansg: 1.72b: 2.20

moderate

effect

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16.5.2004

Science and technology in society

Interest score

4,003,002,001,00

Co

un

t

300

200

100

0

girl or boy

girl

boy

moderate effect

meansg: 2.02B: 2.33

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Technology application

Interest score

4,003,503,002,502,001,501,00

Co

un

t

300

200

100

0

girl or boy

girl

boy

Meansg: 1.87b: 2.4

large effect

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16.5.2004

Human being context

Interest score

4,003,002,001,00

Co

un

t

300

200

100

0

girl or boy

girl

boy

no effect betweenboys and girls

interest

meansg: 2.24b: 2.20

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Investigations

Interest score

4,003,002,001,00

Co

un

t

300

200

100

0

girl or boy

girl

boy

meansg: 1.97B 2.15

small effect

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16.5.2004

Technology design and construction

Interest score

4,003,002,001,00

Co

un

t

300

200

100

0

girl or boy

girl

boy

meansg: 1.86b: 2.17

small effect

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Discussion

• Girls responded very sensitively to a change of context

• Textbooks: ideal “bodies” moving, warming up, or absorbing radiation. Textbook examples are typically technical applications

• Boys found technical application most interesting context largest gender difference

• Girls found human being most interestin context no gender difference

IMPLICATION FOR TEACHING

the measurement of physiological processes of the human body

with technical applications

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Research questions

3. How important the reason to reject or choose physic is?

4. How do boys’ and girls’ opinions of importance differ in

this reason?

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16.5.2004

Methods for questions 3 and 4

Survey, Finnish upper secondary school students (N=

2934), age 17

Students were asked to answer questions for rejecters’ or

for choosers’ items.

Items were five-scaled from not important reason to very

important reason.

Altogether, there were 16 items probing choosing and 19

items probing rejecting physics.

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Reasons to reject physics, examples of items• ”My future studies do not require physics”

• ”I am not competent in physics”

• ”Content in physic is too masculine”

• ”Negative message from media”

• ”Mother or another female relative have negative opinion” about physics studies”

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Reasons to reject physics

small effect

Moderate effect

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16.5.2004

reasons to choose physics, examples of items• ”Physics is useful in my future occupation”

• ”Physics is interesting subject”

• ”I am talented in physics”

• ”Positive attitude of my friends (e.g. my friend choose too)”

• ”Physics teacher supported to choose”

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Reasons to choose physics

small effect

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Discussion 2

• Role of parents, counselling, media etc. are viewed

small

• Small gender differences, especially in group of

choosers

• Future relevance most important reason

• Reasoning or justifying choises…

IMPLICATIONSInforming pupils about future relevance

Help pupils to be aware of actors influencing their choices