National Foundation for Educational Research Why · PDF filethroughout the project. Finally,...

A summary report by Iain Springate, Jennie Harland, Pippa Lord and Anne Wilkin National Foundation for Educational Research

The Institute of Physics and the Royal Society of ChemistryNovember 2008

Why choose physics and chemistry? The influences on physics and chemistrysubject choices of BME students

About the IOPThe Institute of Physics is a scientific membership organi-sation that is devoted to increasing the understanding andapplication of physics. It has an extensive worldwide mem-bership and is a leading communicator of physics with allaudiences from specialists through government to the gen-eral public. Its publishing company, IOP Publishing, is aworld leader in scientific publishing and the electronic dis-semination of physics.www.iop.org

About the RSCThe RSC is the largest organisation in Europe for advanc-ing the chemical sciences. Supported by a worldwide net-work of 44 000 members and an international publishingbusiness, our activities span education, conferences, sci-ence policy and the promotion of chemistry to the public.www.rsc.org

The studyThe study was overseen by a steering group from theInstitute of Physics and the Royal Society of Chemistry. Itcomprised:Saher Ahmed, IOPSarah Dickinson, RSCKatharine Hollinshead, IOPSean McWhinnie, RSCTajinder Panesor, IOP

The research team would like to thank all the school anduniversity staff who helped us to set up the interviews andfocus groups with young people. We are also very grateful tothe young people themselves for giving up their time to beinterviewed, and for telling us about the influences on theirdecisions to study chemistry and physics.

We would like to thank the Institute of Physics and theRoyal Society of Chemistry for their advice and supportthroughout the project. Finally, we would like to thank JulieThompson, Carol Wilkin and Sarah Harland, who made sig-nificant contributions to the research.

The Royal Society of Chemistry would also like toacknowledge a contribution from the HEFCE-fundedChemistry for our Future programme towards the costs ofthis study.

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

L PR 0808 Diversity-extra page:Layout 1 11/12/08 13:21 Page 1

Contents

Foreword iiAbout the study 1

1.1: Introduction 11.2: Aims of the research 11.3: Methodology 1

2: Information about the sample 22.1: Strand 1: A-level sample 22.2: Strand 2: undergraduate sample 22.3: Parental occupations of the sample 3

3: Choices and influences 43.1: High-influence factors 4

3.1 .1: Enjoyment of physics and chemistry 43.1 .2: Future ambitions 43.1 .3: Perceptions of careers with a physics or chemistry degree 43.1 .4: Relevance of physics and chemistry study to life 5

3.2: Medium-influence factors 53.2 .1: The way in which physics and chemistry are taught 53.2 .2: Physics and chemistry teachers 53.2 .3: Images of scientists and the work that they do 53.2 .4: Family influences 5

3.3: Low-influence factors 63.3.1: Difficulty of physics and chemistry 63.3.2: Careers advisors 63.3.3: Influence of peers and role models 6

3.4: Summary of influences 7

4: Conclusions and recommendations 84.1: Conclusions 84.2: Recommendations 8

Appendices 101: Location of participating schools 102: Types of participating school 10

References 11

T H E I N F L U E N C E S O N P H Y S I C S A N D C H E M I S T R Y S U B J E C T C H O I C E S O F BME S T U D E N T S N O V E M B E R 2008 i

L PR RP 0908 Diversity2 071008:L PR RP 0908 Diversity2 11/12/08 14:50 Page i

Foreword

ii T H E I N F L U E N C E S O N P H Y S I C S A N D C H E M I S T R Y S U B J E C T C H O I C E S O F BME S T U D E N T S N O V E M B E R 2008

We are delighted to present the findings of this second jointreport by the Institute of Physics (IOP) and the Royal Societyof Chemistry (RSC), which examines the factors underlyingthe subject choices of ethnic-minority students. The IOPand the RSC are committed to working on diversity issuesand have increasingly worked together on a number of pro-jects.

The first joint IOP and RSC report on the participation ofethnic-minority students in chemistry and physics pre-sented a statistical overview of the passage of students ina number of ethnic groups through the educationalpipeline. The study showed that the different ethnic groupsdisplayed different patterns of attrition from science.However, by the end of the chemistry and physics pipelines,individuals in all ethnic-minority groups were less likely tobe studying chemistry and physics respectively than indi-viduals in the white majority.

Patterns of attrition from science subjects are unlikely tobe down to ethnicity alone because, for example, socio -economic class will also play a significant role. However,there is no doubt that ethnicity does play a part. This newreport presents the findings of research to explore the var-ious factors that affect subject choice and to compare therelative effects of these factors on the different ethnicgroups. The picture is a complex one and it is very difficultto come to any firm conclusions about exactly why onegroup displays different traits from another.

The hope is that the information in this report will provideclues to how studying chemistry and physics to a high levelcan be made more attractive to some groups of students.

Christine DaviesIOP Diversity Committee chair

Paul Walton RSC Diversity Working Group chair

Foreword

1.1: IntroductionIn 2006 the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) and theInstitute of Physics (IOP) commissioned a statistical studyof the representation of ethnic groups in chemistry andphysics (Elias et al. 2006). This investigation revealed a“leaky educational pipeline”, whereby at each stage of deci-sion making – from GCSE through to postgraduate study –certain ethnic minority chemistry and physics students weredisproportionately lost to other subjects and career paths.

A complex picture of retention and attrition among thedifferent ethnic groups was shown:

● Indian and Chinese students showed a strongpreference for chemistry and physics A-level but wereunder-represented at undergraduate andpostgraduate level.

● Black Caribbean students were under-represented inchemistry and physics at both A-level and degree level.

● Pakistani and Bangladeshi students were under-represented at degree level compared with theirrelative numbers in A-level.

● At postgraduate level, ethnic minority students wereless likely than their white peers to study for a PhD inchemistry or physics, despite being more likely to go onto further study in other subject areas.

The findings of the study suggested that subject decisionmaking among black and minority ethnic (BME) studentsmight have been influenced by factors distinct from thoseaffecting white students. For instance, the influence of fam-ily and perceptions about job status and security mighthave been more salient factors in ethnic minority students’subject choice. The fact that certain ethnic groups wereunder-represented in chemistry and physics might havebeen self-reinforcing and have discouraged BME studentsfrom further study. This was clearly a less prominent issuefor majority white students. Wider factors associated withaccess to higher education might also have played a role(Gorad et al. 2006, Purchell et al. 2008).

1.2: Aims of the researchThe aim of the more recent study was to investigate the fac-tors affecting the decisions of under-represented ethnicgroups to study physics and/or chemistry at A-level and/orat university, and to discover any differences between thedifferent ethnic groups; A-level and undergraduate stu-dents; students of physics and chemistry; and the sexes.

The under-represented groups that were targeted for theresearch were British nationals from black African, blackCaribbean, Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Chinese and Indianbackgrounds to correspond with the groups used in the2006 report. The following areas were explored:

● the influence of family on BME students’ subjectchoices, attitudes towards further study in physics andchemistry, and careers in physics and chemistry;

● the extent to which peer groups influence the subjectchoices and career decisions of ethnic minoritystudents with regard to physics and chemistry;

● the idea of under-representation being self-reinforcing(i.e. whether young people from ethnic groups areinfluenced by the lack of non-white role models inphysics and chemistry);

● what other factors are significant in ethnic minoritystudents’ subject choices and career-related decisionmaking with regard to physics and chemistry;

● the relative weight placed on the different factors instudents’ decision making;

● when the influences on subject and career choice areperceived to be most powerful;

● what students feel can be done to make physics/chemistry-related further study and careers moreattractive, and what would influence them or help themto stay in the “pipeline”.

1.3: MethodologyThere were two strands to this qualitative study:

● Strand 1 Up to 24 focus groups were to be held with A-level students. Each group was to be composed ofstudents from a single ethnic minority and a single sex.The aim was to sample equal numbers of studentsstudying physics and chemistry, and these would besupplemented by individual interviews whereappropriate.

● Strand 2 Individual telephone interviews with up to 24physics/chemistry undergraduate students were to beheld, including those with an interest in postgraduatestudy. The aim was to include four individuals fromeach of the six ethnic groups covered by the originalsurvey, including at least one male and one female,and to sample equal numbers of students studyingphysics and chemistry.

1: About the study

“This investigation[in 2006]revealed a “leaky educationalpipeline”, wherebyat each stage ofdecision -making...certainethnic minoritychemistry andphysics studentswere disproportionatelylost to other subjects andcareer paths.”

T H E I N F L U E N C E S O N P H Y S I C S A N D C H E M I S T R Y S U B J E C T C H O I C E S O F BME S T U D E N T S N O V E M B E R 2008 1

1: About the study

Ethnic group Total Sex School year A-level subject(s)male female 12 13 chemistry physics physics and chemistry

Black African 22 11 11 4 18 17 2 3Black Caribbean 6 2 4 3 3 4 2 0Indian 30 15 15 14 16 12 7 11Pakistani 19 8 11 9 10 18 1 0Bangladeshi 13 9 4 11 2 4 3 6Chinese 13 7 6 6 7 9 2 2Total 103 52 51 47 56 64 17 22

Table 1: Demographics of the A-level sample

“Individual interviews ratherthan focus-groupwork wereselected becausethey were considered to bebetter suited tothis strand of theproject.”

2: Information about the sample

The research sample comprised 125 individuals studyingphysics and/or chemistry, 103 of whom were A-level stu-dents and 22 of whom were undergraduates.

The demographics of the sample are shown in tables 1and 2, where it can be seen that:

● Black African and Indian students were the mostprevalent in the sample; black Caribbean studentswere the least.

● There was an even balance between males andfemales. (This reflects the current situation in A-leveland undergraduate chemistry, where there is almostparity between the sexes, but it is not a truerepresentation of the gender split in physics, whereabout 20% of A-level and undergraduate physicsstudents are female.)

● Overall, 38% of the individuals sampled were studyingphysics, 79% were studying chemistry and 18% werestudying both.

2.1: Strand 1: A-level sampleFocus groups were chosen as the approach that was mostlikely to identify the key perceptions of the respective ethnicgroups and to access any influences that might predomi-nate in specific ethnic groups. Individual-level data werecollected through initial proformas and individual activityduring the focus groups. This approach allowed the use ofindividual case-studies to illustrate group data, whereappropriate, in the analysis and reporting.

Schools that had large proportions of BME pupils weretargeted for the research. Participating schools were askedto distribute a short proforma to physics and chemistry A-level students in years 12 and 13. These containedenough information about individuals to allow the researchteam to identify and select a sample to participate in thefocus groups. It also allowed the students to give consentfor their involvement. Pupils were offered a £10 HMV

voucher as an incentive to participate. Overall, 11 schoolswere actively involved in the study.

The schools were spread across five of the nineGovernment Office Regions (see appendix 1) and includeda mixture of secondary schools, sixth-form colleges and fur-ther-education colleges (see appendix 2). The majority ofthe partici pating institutions were coeducational, apartfrom one all-boys school and two all-girls schools.

The bulk of the data came from 17 focus groups involving80 pupils. Additionally, 23 individual interviews were held.The sample of A-level students is detailed in table 1.

2.2: Strand 2: undergraduate sampleIndividual interviews rather than focus-group work wereselected because they were considered to be better suitedto this strand of the project. This was partly due to the rela-tively small numbers of students who fulfilled the specificcriteria, and also because these personal interviewsafforded an opportunity to look at individual case-studiesand to ask students detailed, specific questions about influ-ences and future aspirations.

Selected universities were asked to distribute a short e-mail proforma to undergraduate physics and chemistrystudents, which enabled the research team to identify andselect the target sample, as well as allowing the students togive active informed consent for participation. Studentswere offered a £10 HMV voucher as an incentive to partic-ipate. Overall, 30 physics departments and 28 chemistrydepartments agreed to distribute the proforma. This gen-erated 595 responses, from which 22 candidates who fit-ted the criteria were interviewed.

Table 2 details the undergraduate cohort. These studentswere spread across different stages of a degree and con-sisted of seven first-year, six second-year, seven third-yearand two fourth-year undergraduate students. They includedstudents considering or planning postgraduate studies inphysics or chemistry.

T H E I N F L U E N C E S O N P H Y S I C S A N D C H E M I S T R Y S U B J E C T C H O I C E S O F BME S T U D E N T S N O V E M B E R 20082


2.3: Parental occupations of the sampleBoth the A-level and the undergraduate students wereasked to supply information about the occupations of theirparents/guardians. This was then classified into occupa-tional groups using the National Statistics Socio-EconomicClassification (NS-SEC) using the simplified method (Officefor National Statistics 2005), which enabled informationabout the socioeconomic status of the participants to bedetermined.

Overall these data suggested that there was a range ofparental occupations spanning both highly skilled occu-pations (e.g. doctors, accountants) and lower skilled occu-pations (e.g. shop assistant, factory worker). The parentaloccupations of those undertaking A-levels were comparedwith those of the undergraduates, and no significant dif-ferences were found between the two groups.

However, there were differences in the parental occupa-tion profiles between the different ethnic groups. The rangeof parental occupations (for those who provided this infor-mation) in each ethnic group is detailed below:

● Bangladeshi The majority of parents were either notemployed or employed in lower-skilled jobs.

● Black African Most parents were working in higheroccupational groups, although there was a significantminority in lower-skilled occupations. Where there wasmore than one parent, both tended to be employed.

● Black Caribbean The majority of parents were workingin higher occupational groups, although there was a

minority in lower-skilled occupations. Where there wasmore than one parent, both tended to be employed.

● Chinese Most parents were working in higheroccupational groups, although there was a minority inlower-skilled occupations. Around half of thehouseholds had only one parent who was employed.

● Indian The occupations of the parents were varied,with just less than 50% being employed in higheroccupations and the rest being employed inintermediate or lower-skilled occupations. Just underhalf of the households had only one parent who wasemployed.

● Pakistani These parents were most commonlyemployed in higher occupations, or running their ownsmall business. Most households had only one parentwho was employed.

Ethnic group Total Sex Undergraduate subject(s)male female chemistry physics

Black African 3 2 1 2 1Black Caribbean 2 0 2 2 0Indian 6 3 3 4 2Pakistani 5 3 2 3 2Bangladeshi 2 1 1 2 0Chinese 4 2 2 0 4Total 22 11 11 13 9

Table 2: Demographics of the undergraduate sample



This study, although focusing in the main on the influenceof family and peers on choices to study physics and chem-istry, also investigated what other influences affect deci-sions. This served to contextualise the influence of familyand peers, and to highlight those factors that young peo-ple see as the most influential in their decision making.

There is a clear hierarchy of influences acting on stu-dents’ decisions to study physics and chemistry. The fac-tors can be split into three levels of influence:

● High-influence factors: enjoyment of physics andchemistry, future ambitions, perceptions of careerswith a physics or chemistry degree, and the relevanceof physics and chemistry study to life.

● Medium-influence factors: the way physics andchemistry are taught, physics and chemistry teachers,images of scientists and the work that they do, andfamily influences.

● Low-influence factors: the difficulty of physics andchemistry, role models, careers advisors and peers.

These influences mirror those found in research that looksat the young population as a whole (Morris 2006). Youngpeople’s subject choices are reported to be affected bytheir interest in and enjoyment of the subject, its potentialrole in their future career, their perceived ability in the sub-ject and, crucially, their awareness (or, indeed, lack ofawareness) of other options. This latter point would seemparticularly important for ethnic minority groups, given thatfamilies do not necessarily see clear routes into physics-or chemistry-related careers for their children.

In this study there was variation in the level of influenceof these factors across the different types of interviewee:

● Certain factors were more influential for some ethnicgroups than others – for example, the perceptions ofcareers with a physics or chemistry degree, whichmostly influenced young people away from physicsand chemistry.

● Females were more likely than males to be influencedto choose physics and/or chemistry by their enjoymentof the subjects, and to be influenced to drop them as aresult of their perceived difficulty.

● Those studying A-level chemistry were more likely thanthose studying physics to see their study of the subjectas a stepping stone to a career outside the subject(e.g. chemistry A-level is a prerequisite for medicine).

● Undergraduates studying physics or chemistry weremore likely than A-level students to have positive viewsof the careers available with a physics or chemistrydegree, the relevance of physics and chemistry to life,plus scientists and the work that they do.

3.1: High-influence factors

3.1.1: Enjoyment of physics and chemistryEnjoyment was one of the most important influences ondecisions across all of the ethnic groups, and it appeared tobe a slightly greater influence for females than for males.Students were influenced to continue studying physicsand/or chemistry if they enjoyed it. Some of the young peo-ple suggested that their enjoyment was influenced by theirability in the subject (section 3.3.1).

Many A-level students explained that they enjoyedphysics and chemistry but were not continuing with the sub-jects at degree level. The reasons for this were:

● some students wanted to pursue a more vocationaldegree (e.g. medicine);

● some said that they would be using their physics/chemistry skills in their chosen degree and wouldcontinue to enjoy the subjects as part of their studies;

● some explained that a pure physics or chemistrydegree would be too narrow to keep them interested.

Those who had continued to degree level, or were plan-ning to, tended to be those who had a passion for the sub-ject and an interest in exploring it further.

3.1.2: Future ambitionsThe future career ambitions of the interviewees was one ofthe most important decision-making influences across all ofthe ethnic groups. While some individuals were studyingphysics or chemistry at degree or A-level with the aim of acareer related to physics or chemistry, most saw the sub-jects at A-level as a stepping stone towards a specific careerpath. This influence was particularly strong for many of theindividuals studying chemistry A-level, because this is aprerequisite for studying subjects such as medicine, phar-macy and dentistry at university. Some students studyingphysics at A-level commented that they had chosen itbecause they wanted to go into engineering.

3.1.3: Perceptions of careers with a physics or chemistrydegreeThe perception of the careers available with a physics orchemistry degree was a key factor influencing black African,Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi interviewees. It wasslightly less influential for Chinese and black Caribbeanstudents. However, this influence tended to have a nega-tive impact because most of the respondents were notaware of the types of career available with a physics orchemistry degree. Issues include:

● Some interviewees felt that careers available with a

3: Choices and influences

“While some individuals werestudying physicsor chemistry atdegree or A-levelwith the aim of acareer related tophysics or chemistry, mostsaw the subjectsat A-level as astepping stonetowards a specificcareer path.”



physics or chemistry degree were not well paid and notthat interesting, and that there were few jobs availableoutside teaching, laboratory work and research.

● Some felt that a physics or chemistry degree wouldlimit their options after graduation because the fieldthat they had studied was too narrow.

● Some , while recognising that there were many careeroptions open to them with a physics or chemistrydegree, felt that a more vocational degree, such asmedicine, would offer a safer career route.

A minority of interviewees had decided to pursue physicsor chemistry at university because they were aware that adegree in these subjects would equip them with skills thatemployers wanted, both in scientific industries and in otherfields (e.g. finance). Those with such positive perceptionsof careers were much more likely to be undergraduates thanA-level students, who were correspondingly more likely tohave negative perceptions of potential careers.

3.1.4: Relevance of physics and chemistry study to lifeThe perceived relevance of physics and chemistry to lifewas one of the most important influences on the decisionsof black African and Chinese interviewees to study physicsand/or chemistry, and a slightly less influential factor forthe other ethnic groups. Some interviewees felt that therewere no practical applications to what they were learning,so they had no real idea of how physics and chemistry areused in the “real world”. These students remarked thatinvolving real-life applications and scenarios in the teach-ing of physics and chemistry would have encouraged themto study the subjects further. Other interviewees were moreaware of the fundamental aspects of physics and chem-istry, and undergraduates were more likely to have positiveperceptions regarding the relevance of physics and chem-istry than A-level students.

3.2: Medium-influence factors

3.2.1: The way in which physics and chemistry are taughtThe students’ experiences of the way in which these sub-jects are taught varied: some felt that they had experiencedpoor teaching methods; others felt that they had benefitedfrom good teaching. They particularly enjoyed the practi-cal aspect of physics and chemistry, and they were encour-aged to continue with the subjects when there was asignificant practical element to their learning.

3.2.2: Physics and chemistry teachers Physics and chemistry teachers/lecturers were recognisedas an influence on young people’s decisions to studyphysics and/or chemistry, and one of the most importantinfluences acting on Chinese interviewees. Some of the stu-dents had decided not to continue with physics or chem-istry as a result of what they viewed as poor, uninspiring orunhelpful teachers. However, where teachers were seen tobe good, the interviewees were often influenced to con-

tinue with physics and/or chemistry. The students saw agood teacher as someone who made lessons interestingand presented information in a clear and understandableway, and was also able to inspire students by being pas-sionate about their subject.

While the focus of the comments was on teachers atschool who had influenced interviewees to study physicsand/or chemistry, it was clear from undergraduates thattheir lecturers could also play a positive role in inspiringthem to continue studying these subjects.

3.2.3: Images of scientists and the work that they doThe images and perceptions of scientists influenced youngpeople in their decisions regarding physics and chemistry.The majority of comments revealed negative perceptions:some interviewees had a stereotypical view of a scientist,seeing them as “nerdy” with “mad hair”, wearing labcoatsand glasses. Others had negative perceptions of the work ofscientists, seeing it as being a dull and isolating job.However, some interviewees held more positive images ofscientists, which was often due to work experience wherethey had seen what scientists do and talked to them aboutit. Some interviewees also felt that there were positiveimages of scientists in the media, mentioning posters atschool, and television programmes. Such images, wher-ever they came from, influenced young people to chooseto study physics and chemistry. Undergraduates were morelikely to have positive images of scientists and their workthan were A-level students.

3.2.4: Family influencesAlthough in the eyes of young people their families werenot one of the main influences on their decisions to studyphysics or chemistry, they did recognise that they had someinfluence. For a large proportion of interviewees, their fam-ilies encourage them towards certain subjects and careers.Families were often happy for their children to study physicsand chemistry at A-level and often held the sciences at A-level in high regard (as “prestigious”, “solid” subjects).However, most discouraged them from studying these sub-jects at university in favour of more vocational options (e.g.medicine, dentistry). This is attributable to:

● a lack of familial knowledge of the careers availablefollowing a physics or chemistry degree;

● a familial perception that studying physics andchemistry would not lead to a job in the same way thatother degrees (e.g. medicine) would, and that therewere limited job opportunities available with thesesubjects.

However, despite the importance placed on science byparents (and indeed the public more widely; ResearchCouncils UK 2008), pupils’ interest in science appearedto wane during Key Stage 4. “This may mean parental influ-ence is limited in the face of experience” (Morris 2006).Crucially, it has been shown that parents’ views of science

“A minority ofinterviewees haddecided to pursuephysics or chemistry at university becausethey were awarethat a degree inthese subjectswould equip themwith skills thatemployerswanted.”



are affected by their own experience of studying science atschool (Reiss 2001).

The degree of influence that parents exerted on their chil-dren can be categorised into three levels, as follows:

● Parents encouraged their children towards specificsubjects and careers, such as medicine, dentistry, lawand accounting, and actively discouraged them fromother paths.

● They encouraged their children to ensure that theyworked towards a good career, with good job securityand income, without specifying what it should be.

● They supported and advised their children withoutinfluencing them to take any particular direction.

Young people felt that their families saw physics andchemistry as respectable and useful subjects to study atGCSE and A-level, and many young people explained thattheir parents had encouraged them to study the sciences atschool. The issue for families was not physics and chem-istry, per se, but the perception of the careers availableafter a physics or chemistry degree. This finding suggeststhat if families and young people were aware of the range ofcareer options available to them, the quality of such optionsand the fact that employers are keen to recruit science grad-uates, this could influence them to consider a physics orchemistry degree.

There was some evidence that chemistry was regardeddifferently from physics, with chemistry A-level more oftenbeing seen by young people as a stepping stone to othercareers (e.g. medicine). Also, the students who had cho-sen to study physics were less likely to have parents encour-aging them towards certain careers and subjects. Arguably,this could have been because chemistry was seen as amore useful subject by families, so the encouragement tostudy chemistry was greater than that for physics. If thiswas the case, there is a pressing need to provide informa-tion about physics-related careers.

There were some differences in the extent and nature ofthe influencing factors across the different BME groups:

● The influence of families was stronger for Bangladeshiand Pakistani interviewees than other groups, andweaker for Chinese interviewees;

● Pakistani and Indian interviewees were more likelythan other groups to be steered away from physics andchemistry careers through the influence of significantproportions of their families who were in otherprofessions, such as medicine and pharmacy;

● Some black Caribbean and black African intervieweeswere told by their families that they had to work twiceas hard as other groups to overcome disadvantage.

Findings from a recent survey of public attitudes towardsscience (Research Councils UK 2008) found that Asianand particularly black respondents were more likely thanwhite respondents to describe their secondary science edu-

cation as “a lot” or “a little” better than other subjects. Giventhis positive attitude, it is likely that there is untappedpotential in the family as an important encourager or influ-encer for young people, particularly in the Asian popula-tion, and it will be important to ensure that parents areaware of the full range of careers available to physics andchemistry graduates.

3.3: Low-influence factors:

3.3.1: Difficulty of physics and chemistryAcademic ability and the perceived difficulty of studyingphysics and chemistry were also an influence on thechoices of the interviewees. Many of the students regardedboth physics and chemistry as difficult subjects, and thisinfluenced them not to pursue them. This appeared to beespecially the case with females. There were a small num-ber of interviewees who thought that physics and chemistrywere easy subjects, and this influenced them to continuewith them because they felt that they would do well. Therewere also some interviewees who acknowledged the diffi-culty of physics and chemistry but saw this as a challenge,and they were not discouraged from further study by thepotential difficulty of the subject.

A recent report looking at the relative difficulty of examsin different subjects (Coe et al. 2008) shows quantitativelythat, at A-level, the science, technology, engineering andmathematics subjects are not just more difficult on aver-age than the non-sciences but are without exception amongthe hardest of all A-levels. This is consistent with findingsfrom other research, which shows that, in general, youngpeople studying physics in higher education are more likelythan their peers studying other subjects to cite their per-ceived high ability as a key influencing factor in their studychoice (Hobsons Group 2006).

3.3.2: Careers advisorsCareers advisors accessed in or outside school (e.g. viaConnexions) influenced some young people to continuewith physics or chemistry. Other students had not seencareers advisors, or had not felt that the information thatthey were given to them was useful.

3.3.3: Influence of peers and role modelsAlthough this was a subtle influence, young people’s deci-sion making was found to be informed by that of their imme-diate peers, and also impacted on by other “influentialfigures” or “role models”. Peers provide a framework withinwhich perceptions of the subjects are explored, createdand perpetuated, and it is in this context of trends, fash-ions and attitudes that decisions are made.

The extent of such influences appears to vary dependingon students’ personal characteristics, ambitions and enjoy-ment. In some instances there were also differences acrossthe ethnic groups:

● The influence of peers was rated as being slightly

“ The issue forfamilies was notphysics and chemistry, per se,but the perceptionof the careersavailable after aphysics or chemistrydegree.”



“Enjoyment wasrated as a high-influence factor,whil e difficulty wasrated as a low-influence factor,and we know thatthese two areoften linked.”

stronger in comparison with other factors forBangladeshi students, but particularly low forPakistani students.

● The influence of role models seemed to be particularlyhigh for Bangladeshi and Indian young people inrelation to other factors, but was a particularly lowinfluence for Chinese respondents.

● Peer influence appeared to decline somewhat withage, though older students could still be influenced bytheir peers and affected by role models and influentialfigures.

● Most young people studying for A-levels were notaware of any famous physicists or chemists of theirtime. Undergraduates tended to be more aware. Whererole models existed, they had considerable impact.Respondents also cited relatives, peers, older studentsand family friends as important role models.

● Females studying A-levels were more likely than their

male counterparts to report a lack of role models inphysics and chemistry.

3.4: Summary of influencesTable 3 summarises the findings of the report to allow com-parison of the differences between the ethnic groups.

It is important to note that the influencing factors dis-cussed had varying degrees of impact on decisions, andwere often crosslinked and interdependent. For example,enjoyment, and to some extent perceptions of careers witha physics or chemistry degree and the relevance of physicsand chemistry study to life (which were rated as being high-influence factors), depended on the quality of the teach-ing received (which was rated as a medium-influencefactor). Similarly, enjoyment was rated as a high-influencefactor, whil e difficulty was rated as a low-influence factor,and we know that these two are often linked.



Ethnic group Most important factors Family influences Peer influences SampleBangladeshi Perceptions of careers Greater influence than for other groups Role models a slightly greater influence 15 individuals

Future ambitions generally than for other groups generally 2 focus groupsEnjoyment Peer influence similar to other groups 6 interviews

generallyBlack African Enjoyment Similar influence as for other groups Role models a similar influence as for other 25 individuals

Future ambitions generally groups generally 3 focus groupsRelevance of subject Families told them they must work twice Peer influence similar to other groups 8 interviews

as hard as others to overcome generallyPerceptions of careers discrimination

Black Caribbean Enjoyment Similar influence as for other groups Role models a similar influence as for other 8 individualsgenerally groups generally

Future ambitions Families told them they must work twice Peer influence similar to other groups 8 interviewsas hard as others to overcome generallydiscrimination

Chinese Enjoyment Lesser influence than for other groups Role models a lesser influence than for other 17 individualsFuture ambitions generally groups generally 2 focus groupsRelevance of subject Peer influence similar to other groups 9 interviewsTeachers generally

Indian Enjoyment Similar influence as for other groups Role models a greater influence than for other 36 individualsFuture ambitions generally groups generally (but mostly in careers 5 focus groupPerceptions of careers Certain careers viewed very positively by unrelated to physics and chemistry) 8 interviews

families, and many family members were Peer influence similar to other groupsin such careers generally

Pakistani Perceptions of careers Greater influence than for other groups Role models a similar influence as for other 24 individualsEnjoyment generally groups generally 5 focus groupFuture ambitions Many family members were in certain Peers a lesser influence than for other groups 6 interviewsFamily respected professions (e.g. medicine) generally

Table 3: Summary of findings by ethnic group

4: Conclusions and recommendations

4.1: ConclusionsThis study has drawn out some of the factors that influenceyoung people from ethnic minority groups to move awayfrom the study of physics and chemistry. While the mainissues reported by young people were consistent across allgroups, there was some variation in the nature and extentof the factors influencing the different ethnic groups:

● The influence of family was greater for Bangladeshiand Pakistani interviewees and less for Chineseinterviewees than the other ethnic groups.

● The influence of peers was less for Pakistaniinterviewees than the rest of the ethnic groups.

● The influence of role models was greater forBangladeshi and Indian interviewees and less forChinese interviewees than the other ethnic groups.

● Some black African and black Caribbean intervieweeswere told by their families that they would have to worktwice as hard as other groups to overcomedisadvantage.

● Indian interviewees thought that a particularly stronginfluence from their families was that certain careerswere viewed particularly positively (e.g. medicine andlaw), and they were encouraged towards such careers.

● A particular influence on Pakistani and Indianinterviewees was that many members of their familieswere working in certain respected professions, such asmedicine and pharmacy.

The timing of decisionsWhile a small number of the respondents had decided at ayoung age to pursue careers such as medicine, most sug-gested that they did not make firm decisions about subjectchoices until the deadline for decisions. This suggests thatthere are opportunities for interventions to influence youngpeople towards physics and chemistry in the lead up toGCSE options and to the UCAS deadline. However, giventhat this study suggests that the major reason for drop-offrelates to degree choice and is underpinned by thinkingabout careers, then interventions in years 12 and 13 thatrelate to careers available with physics or chemistry maybe most useful. Additionally, general information aboutpossible careers that a physics or chemistry degree mightlead to is also likely to have an influence if made availableat an earlier stage.

Reaching the end of the pipelineThere were some differences between undergraduates inphysics or chemistry and those studying the subjects at A-level. While enjoyment was a key factor behind decisionsat A-level and degree level, there were indications thatthose who continued with physics or chemistry at degree

level were those who had a passion for the subject(s) andwanted to pursue it/them further.

The research also suggested that, relative to A-level stu-dents, physics and chemistry undergraduates had morepositive perceptions of careers in physics and chemistry,a greater understanding of the relevance of physics andchemistry, and more positive images about scientists andtheir work. This was not surprising given that these wereamong the reasons given by A-level students why they hadchosen to study physics and/or chemistry. However, it wasnot always clear to what extent these perceptions had beendeveloped while at university, and to what extent they werereasons for choosing to study physics or chemistry at uni-versity. However, for some undergraduates, these factorswere key to their decision to continue with one of these sub-jects at university.

The families of some of the undergraduates supportedthem in their decision to continue studying physics or chem-istry, while others had tried to persuade them to studysomething else. Some of these undergraduates explainedthat the subject that they chose to study was their decisionto make, and they made an independent decision regard-less of their parents’ views. Others had fallen back on thesubject that they enjoyed the most when they had beenrejected for their first choice of degree subject (such asmedicine, which parents had encouraged them towards).

Overall, key factors in reaching the end of the pipelinewould appear to be a passion for physics/chemistry andpositive perceptions about the relevance of the subjectsand careers related to them. This again illustrates the impor-tance of providing information to ethnic minority studentsand their families about careers relating to physics andchemistry, and ensuring that their experiences of studyingphysics and/or chemistry at school are enjoyable (e.g.good teachers and practical elements in the courses).

4.2: RecommendationsThe policy recommendations are based on the findings ofthis study and of the earlier work on the representation ofethnic groups in chemistry and physics (Elias et al. 2006).Each recommendation is followed by an indication of thekey stakeholder(s) most appropriate to take it forward.

Enjoyment of physics and chemistry● Focus on increasing the enjoyment of young ethnic

minorities studying physics and/or chemistry atschool, especially females, and illustrate the relevanceof the subjects to everyday life. Appropriateintervention for school pupils might include theprovision of opportunities for (exciting) practical workin universities, science centres and industry where atthe same time students would have the opportunity to


“Some... undergraduatesexplained that thesubject that theychose to studywas their decisionto make, and theymade an independent decision regardless of theirparents’ views.”



9T H E I N F L U E N C E S O N P H Y S I C S A N D C H E M I S T R Y S U B J E C T C H O I C E S O F BME S T U D E N T S N O V E M B E R 2008

meet working physicists and chemists to discuss withthem their work in context. Such opportunities shouldbe provided regularly, not as one-offs. Teachers play avital role in enthusing students, so providing teacherswith continuing professional developmentopportunities to revitalise their enthusiasm andinterest in physics or chemistry is also essential.Learned Societies, Funding Councils, QCA

Careers information● Provide comprehensive information to young people

and their families regarding the range of optionsavailable to physics and chemistry graduates, the

quality of such career options, the demand for suchgraduates by employers and the potential financialrewards. This is particularly important for Bangladeshi,Indian and Pakistani families and young people.Learned Societies, Connexions

Role models● Highlight role models who show ethnic diversity among

those people employed in physics- and chemistry-related careers. This is particularly important for youngBangladeshi, Indian and Pakistani people.Learned societies

Appendices

Appendices


Government office region Number of schools in samplecommunity 3foundation 2independent 1sixth-form college 4further-education college 1

Appendix 2: Types of participating school

Government office region Number of schools in sampleEast Midlands 1London 3South East 1West Midlands 4Yorkshire and Humber 2

Appendix 1: Location of participating schools

References

11T H E I N F L U E N C E S O N P H Y S I C S A N D C H E M I S T R Y S U B J E C T C H O I C E S O F BME S T U D E N T S N O V E M B E R 2008

Coe R, Searle J, Barmby P, Jones K, Higgins S 2008Relative Difficulty of Examinations in Different SubjectsCEM Centre, Durham University.

Elias P, Jones P and McWhinnie S 2006 Representationof Ethnic Groups in Chemistry and Physics London: RoyalSociety of Chemistry and Institute of Physics.

Gorad S, Smith E, May H, Thomas L, Adnett N and Slack K2006 Review of widening participation research:addressing the barriers to participation in higher education (www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/rdreports/ 2006/rd13_06/).

Hobsons Group 2006 School-leaver Recruitment Review2006: Target Group Report – Subject Chemistry London:Royal Society of Chemistry.

Morris M 2006 Pupil subject choice in schools: a productfor the Economic and Social Research Council(www.esrcsocietytoday.ac.uk/ESRCInfoCentre/Images/ESRC_pupil_subject_sheet_tcm6-17691.ppt.

Office for National Statistics 2005 The NationalStatistics Socio-economic Classification User Manual(www.statistics.gov.uk/methods_quality/ns_sec/down-loads/NS-SEC_User.pdf).

Purchell K, Elias P, Ellison R, Atfield G, Adam D andLivanos I 2008 Applying for higher education: the diversity of career choices, plans and expectations(http:// www.hecsu.ac.uk/hecsu.rd/documents/futuretrack 2006/June07_%20FuturetrackReport_KP.pdf).

Reiss M J 2001 How to ensure that pupils don’t lose inter-est in science Education Today 51(2) 34–40.

Research Councils UK and the Department forInnovation, Universities and Skills 2008 Public Attitudesto Science 2008: a Survey (www.rcuk.ac.uk/ sis/ pas.htm).

References

Why choose physics and chemistry? The influences on physics and chemistrysubject choices of BME students

A report prepared for the Institute of Physics and the Royal Society of Chemistry

For further information about the report, please contact:

Institute of Physics 76 Portland Place London W1B 1NT UK Tel: +44 (0) 20 7470 4800 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7470 4848 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.iop.org Registered charity no. 293851

Royal Society of Chemistry Burlington House Piccadilly London W1J 0BA UK Tel: +44 (0)20 7437 8656 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7734 1227 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.rsc.org Registered charity no. 207890

© The Institute of Physics and the Royal Society of Chemistry

The material included in this report may be reproduced and disseminated without infringingcopyright providing the following acknowledgement is given:Why choose physics and chemistry? The influences on physics and chemistry subject choices ofBME students, 2008. Reproduced by permission of the Institute of Physics and the Royal Society of Chemistry.

National Foundation for Educational Research Why · PDF filethroughout the project. Finally,...

Documents

Transcript of National Foundation for Educational Research Why · PDF filethroughout the project. Finally,...