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1.
Abstract

The reasons why girls avoid science subjects were studied by comparing three groups of girls and three groups of boys in the Norwegian secondary school who opted for physics, biology/chemistry and non‐science subjects, respectively. On the basis of documented data on their level of attainment in science subjects, and questionnaire data on confidence in science achievement, attitudes towards the sciences and job priorities, the “hard’ science girls proved to be more confident and laid more stress upon income and leadership than the other groups of girls. No differences between the groups’ attitudes towards science were found. The ‘hard’ science group of girls performed better than the boys in the science subjects and they stressed the importance of income in their future job as much as did the boys. These findings suggest that girls make rational educational choices based on their perception of their own aptitude for science and on their future occupational plans.  相似文献   

2.
Summaries

English

In parts of England and Wales, middle schools have been introduced for pupils of eight to 12 or nine to 13 years of age. From these they enter secondary schools whose general age of entry is 11. It is feared that the teaching of science in middle schools is inadequate and variable. This research has followed the science interests of pupils aged from 12 to 14 and investigated the factors that affect them by means of three questionnaires administered at yearly intervals.

The first questionnaire was administered to almost 600 boys and girls mainly to explore their recollections of the science activities they had experienced or not done in the 52 middle schools from which they came. Their liking for science was also measured and each of the activities done or not done was correlated with it. There were activities which correlated positively and negatively with liking for middle‐school science. There were also sex differences, with boys showing greater interest in ‘physical science’ activities and girls in biological ones. The most remarkable finding was that for girls the higher correlating activities were not merely biological but botanical and they were deterred by some activities with animals.

The second questionnaire after one year in the secondary schools, i.e. at 13 + , monitored the liking for chemistry, physics and biology taken by about 450 pupils. The third questionnaire was given at 14+ when these pupils had chosen to continue or abandon the further study of the three sciences. All the variables from the three questionnaires were then correlated with these science choices. Although the general influence of liking for middle‐school science had by then disappeared, certain specific middle‐school science activities still correlated significantly with science choices. The correlates of chemistry and physics choice were not exclusively physical science but included biological activities in which some measurement was involved, for example plant growth. There were sex differences. Previous activities with animals was detrimental to girls’ biology choices.

A range of other factors had, however, altered pupils’ liking for sciences over the two years in the secondary school: effects of teachers, perceptions of difficulty (especially in the case of girls’ physcial science) and liking for practical work. About a third of the pupils had not made up their minds about what subjects they wanted to study indicating that such an early age of choice is undesirable.  相似文献   

3.
The problems of girls’ underachievement in school science and in particular the physical sciences, has been widely documented in recent years. The findings of this study in Thailand do not confirm the previous findings. Girls in upper secondary schools outperform their boy counterparts in practical skills, theoretical knowledge of chemistry and attitudes to science. The differences in practical skills are greater in the earlier grades, but in theoretical knowledge the larger differences are in the later grades. These findings negate the possible validity of a biological interpretation of these sorts of sex differences.

Some of the possible social sources of bias common in the school systems of Western societies are not present in Thailand. The majority of chemistry teachers are women and curriculum development was in the hands of women. However, the content of the course and its accompanying materials are not obviously very different from modern chemistry courses elsewhere. On the other hand, there does appear to be cultural evidence that may make laboratory activities in chemistry more natural to girls in Thailand.

In Thailand both boys and girls at these levels of schooling are required to take all three sciences, viz., physics, chemistry and biology. The study raises major questions about the choice that exists within the curriculum of many Western countries and the extent to which this ‘choice’ becomes a major avenue for the biases of society to be reflected in the school system.  相似文献   

4.
Many of the explanations for girls’ disinterest in physics focus on the role of the educational system in creating this situation. Here, we use evidence from free‐choice science learning settings to study if this lack of interest is also expressed in non‐school settings. Three sets of self‐generated questions raised by children, adolescents and adults in the fields of biology and physics were used. The outcomes of this analysis show that the polar pattern previously described in school science settings, in which physics proves significantly less interesting to girls than to boys, while biology is of greater interest to girls than to boys, also appears in free‐choice science learning settings. While boys develop an interest in physics with age, girls do not develop such an interest to the same degree. Thus, the initial gap in interest is probably not based on school‐related causes, but its widening in later years probably is. A difference was also found between the genders in the type of information requested and in the motivation for raising the questions. Using topics that appeal to girls’ interest as the context of science learning could prove beneficial in the process of mainstreaming science education. These topics can be identified using girls’ spontaneous questions.  相似文献   

5.

The aim of this study was to evaluate attitudes towards and achievement in science of Form 3 students studying in single-sex and coeducational schools in Brunei. The results demonstrated significant differences in attitudes towards and achievement in science of male and female students in single-sex schools and students in coeducational schools. These differences were at moderate level. In single-sex schools, the girls achieved moderately better in science than the boys despite their attitudes were only marginally better than the boys. However, there were no gender differences in attitudes towards and achievement in science of students in coeducational schools. The attitudes towards and achievement in science of girls in single-sex schools were moderately better than those of girls in coeducational schools. Whereas the attitudes towards and achievement in science of boys in single-sex schools were only marginally better than the boys in coeducational schools. However, further research to investigate (a) if these differences are repeated at other levels as well as in other subjects, and (b) the extent to which school type contributed towards these differences is recommended.  相似文献   

6.
Two thousand and sixty‐five 11‐year‐olds in their first term at secondary school were given a variety of attitude and achievement tests. Overall both girls and boys had positive attitudes to science but there were substantial sex differences‐‐boys were much keener than girls to learn about physical science, and girls were keener than boys to learn about nature study and human biology. Boys had much greater experience than girls of tinkering activities, but girls had more experience of biological science activities. Boys were much more likely than girls to see science as a masculine preserve. At this age attitudes to science were virtually unrelated to achievement in science‐ and technology‐related areas. One important exception to this is that girls who saw science as masculine tended to perform worse on the cognitive tests.  相似文献   

7.
Gender differences in mathematics are well‐documented. This article reports the results of a longitudinal study on the development of mathematics achievement and choice behaviour of both boys and girls between 12 and 15 years of age in higher general secondary education. First of all, it is shown that there are differences in the development of mathematics achievement between schools. There are, however, no gender‐related differences between schools in these development patterns. The main issue is that differences in choice behaviour between boys and girls can only partially be explained by differences in mathematics achievement. It therefore seems worthwhile to assess the role of schools in this process. Results indicate that schools neither differ in gender differences in choice behaviour, nor in their potential to transform initial achievement differences between boys and girls into an inclination to choose mathematics as a final examination subject. In other words: differential school effects in terms of gender‐specific school effects could not be demonstrated.  相似文献   

8.

Unlike many other countries, physics is highly popular in secondary education in Scotland, with large numbers opting for study at the Higher Grade on which entry to higher education is based. This paper reports a project that explored the attitudes and perceptions of Scottish girls and boys towards physics over the age range of 10-18 years old. Towards the end of primary school, attitudes towards science are very positive and both boys and girls are looking forward to studying more science in secondary school, although there is no evidence that the introduction of primary science has been a factor. By the end of the second year of secondary school, these positive attitudes have declined quite markedly and a significant decline of girls' attitudes towards science relative to boys' attitudes was clearly observed. The success of the Standard Grade physics course (a 2-year course taken in third and fourth year, ages 14-16 approximately) is easy to observe in terms of the restoration of positive attitudes of boys and girls again as the pupils move through third and fourth year. This process is especially clearly marked among girls. Surprisingly, over 90 per cent of the observed fourth year pupils wanted to continue studies in physics but a marked decline in attitude is observed during the Higher Grade course (a 1-year course which follows Standard Grade), this being more marked for boys. If the number of girls in physics is an issue for concern within the structure of Scottish system, then the focus of attention should be the structure and nature of the science course in the early secondary school.  相似文献   

9.
《Learning and Instruction》2002,12(4):447-465
Particularly in the so called “hard” science subjects the supposedly equal treatment offered by coeducation in schools proves to be, on closer inspection, an extremely subtle form of unequal treatment. The syllabus and the modes of behavior of both male and female teachers are mainly influenced by the interests, knowledge and abilities of the boys.Based on empirical findings an intervention project aimed at giving girls a better chance in science was carried out focusing on the initial courses of physics in secondary level I (grade 7). Three aspects of innovation were involved: (1) development of new teaching units and materials based on empirical results on the specific interests and experiences of girls; (2) development of strategies to check ones' own (teacher's) classroom behavior; and, (3) alternating single sex with coeducational teaching vs. coeducational teaching only. The effects of the intervention measures are evaluated in a longitudinal design. Gender specific differences in interest and achievement in physics will be discussed depending on personality characteristics and classroom characteristics as well as the developed curriculum and its motivational impact.  相似文献   

10.
Sex stereotyping inventories were administered to pupils entering ten co‐educational comprehensive schools. The tests were repeated two and a half years later. Children's scores on the two occasions were positively correlated. Girls who saw themselves as masculine were slightly more likely than other girls to chose physical science, while girls who saw themselves as feminine were slightly more likely to chose biology. Boys’ self‐images were not linked to option choices. However, boys with a masculine self‐image achieved slightly worse in science than other boys of similar general ability, whereas girls with a masculine self‐image achieved slightly better than other girls. Sex‐typed children were less interested in science, and had a less positive image of science and scientists than other children. In general sex stereotypes were only weakly related to children's achievements in, choice of, and attitudes towards science, but they were more salient to girls than to boys.  相似文献   

11.
Data are presented on the trend in sex differences in science achievement of the total population of 15 year old students in Western Australia over the period 1972‐85 inclusive. Since 1979 the science achievement of boys and girls has been approximately equal. This finding is attributed to the fact that, in Western Australia, at lower secondary school level, boys and girls are exposed to a common science curriculum for a common amount of instructional time. A discussion of the differential course taking hypothesis as an explanation for sex differences in science achievement found in other large‐scale studies is presented. Some evidence of the possible success of intervention strategies aimed at increasing the involvement of girls in science is given.  相似文献   

12.
A meta-analysis covering the literature between 1970 and 1991 was conducted using an approach similar to that suggested by Glass, McGaw, and Smith (1981) and Hedges, Shymansky, and Woodworth (1989). This analysis examined gender differences in student attitudes toward science, and correlations between attitudes toward science and achievement in science. Thirty-one effect sizes and seven correlations representing the testing of 6,753 subjects were found in 18 studies. The mean of the unweighted effect sizes was .20 (SD = .50) and the mean of the weighted effect size was .16 (SD = .50), indicating that boys have more positive attitudes toward science than girls. The mean correlation between attitude and achievement was .50 for boys and .55 for girls, suggesting that the correlations are comparable. Results of the analysis of gender differences in attitude as a function of science type indicate that boys show a more positive attitude toward science than girls in all types of science. The correlation between attitude and achievement for boys and girls as a function of science type indicates that for biology and physics the correlation is positive for both, but stronger for girls than for boys. Gender differences and correlations between attitude and achievement by gender as a function of publication date show no pattern. The results for the analysis of gender differences as a function of the selectivity of the sample indicate that general level students reflect a greater positive attitude for boys, whereas the high-performance students indicate a greater positive attitude for girls. The correlation between attitude and achievement as a function of selectivity indicates that in all cases a positive attitude results in higher achievement. This is particularly true for low-performance girls. The implications of these finding are discussed and further research suggested.  相似文献   

13.
Summaries

English

Attitude statements, mostly concerned with the social implications of science, were administered to 2100 pupils of age 14+. The sample was divided into the top 25oO ('GCE') and the next 30‐40oo ('REST') of the ability range and further divided by sex and by coeducation and single‐sex education.

Factor analysis yielded measures of five independent attitudes to (1) science as a school subject (SUBATT) and to its implications (SOCATT) regarding (2) aesthetic/humanitarian issues; (3) practical benefits (4) value to the state for money invested (S) the activities of scientists. The attitude scores were correlated with the biology, chemistry and physics choices made at this age and with liking for these subjects’ teachers. There were 26/60 significant but low overall correlations with physics and chemistry choices, but only 5/30 for biology. A further 26 significant correlations arose either at high or low teacher liking, the former predominating with boys and the latter with girls.

A Kruskal‐Wallis analysis indicated that some attitudes in the ‘GCE’ group were unaffected by the school attended and possibly derived from the media. Adverse attitudes to the social implications of science may be a factor in the swing away from physical science and technology.  相似文献   

14.

The use of the Myers‐Briggs Type Indicator test with school populations following conventional science courses indicated that girls opting for science tended to be of a specific psychological type. This finding shed light on the processes of subject choice and helped in the planning of an intervention programme to provide ‘girl‐friendly’ physics lessons. It was then found that girls experiencing these lessons not only showed more interest in science, but also that the association between psychological type and subject choice was lost. This finding suggests that the intervention made both qualitative and quantitative changes in the pattern of recruitment of girls to science.  相似文献   

15.
基础教育改革中自然科学课程的设立呼唤高素质的科学教师,高师培养中学理科分科教师的一贯模式必须要打破,自然科学专业的设立或理、化、生分科院系互选课程是高师培养科学教师的两条可行路径。  相似文献   

16.
It is argued that the advance of co‐education has not been without problems for girls. There is now a significant amount of evidence to indicate that girls’ achievement, self‐esteem and willingness to take an active role are endangered in mixed schools. Sex‐stereotyping affecting subject choice, underachievement in mathematics, science and technology, the absence of women in authority positions, and constant social pressure—even harassment—from boys, all combine to depress girls’ self‐confidence and limit their aspirations.  相似文献   

17.
This study seeks to develop a better understanding of the underrepresentation of women in science and engineering by analyzing the gender gaps (a) in the interest in pursuing a science degree and (b) on science achievement. We use national-level college admissions data to examine gender differences and to explore the association between these outcomes and the attendance to single-sex or co-educational schools. The Chilean college admissions system provides a unique context to study these gender differences, since applicants who wish to pursue an undergraduate degree in science or engineering are required to take a high-stakes standardized science achievement test as part of the admission battery. This test has three subjects: biology, physics, and chemistry, and applicants must choose to be tested in only one of them. Significant gender differences exist for the examinees in their choice of subject and achievement on (the tests). Gender gaps favoring males are observed in the three forms. Both interest and achievement in science are associated with the sex composition of the school attended.  相似文献   

18.
Earlier studies of gender differences in science courses and careers have identified three probable causes: numbers of mathematics courses, level of science achievement, and attitudes toward science. Recently, differential science experiences have been suggested as a factor contributing to the gender differences found in science interest and achievement. A study of science activities, both within and outside of school, has been conducted. Although both boys and girls report similar classroom experiences, boys more often than girls report extracurricular science activities. The findings suggest that equal experiences within science classrooms do not overcome the advantage that boys hold due to more extracurricular science activities. Increased experiences in science, however, have led to more positive attitudes toward science among the girls in this study.  相似文献   

19.
In the past three decades in high-income countries, female students have outperformed male students in most indicators of educational attainment. However, the underrepresentation of girls and women in science courses and careers, especially in physics, computer sciences, and engineering, remains persistent. What is often neglected by the vast existing literature is the role that schools, as social institutions, play in maintaining or eliminating such gender gaps. This explorative case study research compares two high schools in Israel: one Hebrew-speaking state school that serves mostly middleclass students and exhibits a typical gender gap in physics and computer science; the other, an Arabic-speaking state school located in a Bedouin town that serves mostly students from a lower socioeconomic background. In the Arabic-speaking school over 50% of the students in the advanced physics and computer science classes are females. The study aims to explain this seemingly counterintuitive gender pattern with respect to participation in physics and computer science. A comparison of school policies regarding sorting and choice reveals that the two schools employ very different policies that might explain the different patterns of participation. The Hebrew-speaking school prioritizes self-fulfillment and “free-choice,” while in the Arabic-speaking school, staff are much more active in sorting and assigning students to different curricular programs. The qualitative analysis suggests that in the case of the Arabic-speaking school the intersection between traditional and collectivist society and neoliberal pressures in the form of raising achievement benchmarks contributes to the reversal of the gender gap in physics and computer science courses.  相似文献   

20.
This paper builds on my previous research, explaining the differential achievement of boys and girls in secondary education by the fact that boys' culture is less study orientated than girls' culture. The central question of the present paper is whether the presence of girls at school affects the boys' study culture and, by consequence, boys' achievement. The research is based on data of 877 boys and 714 girls, attending the fifth year of a sample of 15 general secondary schools. It is shown that the gender context of the school does not affect the boys' study culture, but the presence of girls positively influences the general pupils' study culture. By means of multilevel analyses (HLM), it is demonstrated that the larger the proportion of girls at school, the higher the boys achieve, and this finding can be ascribed to the general pupils' study culture.  相似文献   

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