Physics education in the United Kingdom is mostly carried out from the ages of 16 to 18 at secondary schools, or sixth forms, and to a higher level across the Physics departments at British universities.

History

Course content

Previous to the 1960s, the curriculum was neatly divided into heat, light, magnetism, electricity, mechanics and sound. Around the late 1950s, the Science Masters Association developed the syllabus called 'Physics for Grammar Schools'.

In 1956 the US set up their Physical Science Study Committee (PSSC), which would directly influence physics teaching in the UK. In the PSSC plan, teaching was less rigidly, and monotonously, compartmentalised, and could demonstrate how some topics were possibly interwoven, in a fabric of knowledge, combined with more experimental apparatus.

A National Committee on Physics Education set by the Royal Society and the Institute of Physics, with Sir Nevill Francis Mott as chairman. It worked with the Nuffield Foundation, to found the Nuffield Physics Project in April 1962, with Sir Nevil Mott as chairman, with the 11-16 Project led by Donald MacGill and Eric M. Rogers, followed by the Advanced Level Project, led by Paul Black, of the University of Birmingham, and Jon Ogborn, of Worcester College of Higher Education. Norman Clarke also worked with the Institute on Physics education, in the 1960s.

In 1987 the Institute of Physics set up annual three-day Physics Update Courses at Malvern College, for secondary school teachers, financially supported by the Worshipful Company of Armourers and Brasiers.

Participation

7.6% of all A-levels in 1982 were Physics, by 1990 it was 6%, and by 2004 it was 3.8%.

Reports

The Targeted Initiative on Science and Mathematics Education (TISME), funded by the ESRC, looked at who took up science, in collaboration with Institute of Physics, with Louise Archer (academic), and Sir John Holman.

One part of the project was UPMAP - Understanding Participation rates in post-16 Mathematics and Physics, a three-year longitudinal study of around 700 children in years 8, 10, 12, with interviews of ages 16-18, and first year undergraduates.

The UPMAP project found that Physics was chosen after 16 if a candidate knew a significant adult who had a connection to the physical sciences, leading to many people choosing Physics, at degree level, being middle-class, and either White, Indian, or Chinese.

Nations

England

Physics is an 'enabling subject'. The IOP Future Physics Leaders scheme is funded by the DfE for schools in low participation areas.[1]

Female participation

At 16, Physics is the second most popular subject for boys, but the 18th most popular for girls. 2% of females, and 6.5% of males choose Physics at A-level.[2]

Sixth form

From 2012 figures, 43% of those with A* at GCSE, 30% with A, 16% with B, and 4% with C, choose Physics in the 6th form. From a 2012 Institute of Physics report, it was found that girls are two and a half times more likely to choose Physics at A-level, if attending a girls-only school, and a marked higher percentage for girls at private schools, as well.

University

47 universities offer Physics courses accredited by the IoP.[3] Scottish universities have four-year BSc undergraduate courses or five-year MPhys/MSci undergraduate courses with integrated masters.[4]

Of those with Physics A-level, around 3,000 take Physics on an undergraduate course, followed by Mechanical Engineering and Mathematics, both just under 3,000; next is Civil Engineering, just over 1500.[5]

There were around 710 PhD Physics research degrees a year in 2009-10,[5] with the researchers being 435 from the UK, 110 from the EU, and 135 from overseas; 165 were female (around 20%).

After university, around 55% do a further degree, and 1.7% start a PGCE; 25% go into the private sector.[5]

A 2011 report by the British Educational Research Association found that Physical Science and Engineering courses at university were much less popular, typically, with candidates who were female, working-class, Afro-Caribbean or Pakistani.[6]

Results by LEA in England

Highest number of entries for Physics A-level

  • Hampshire 840
  • Kent 760
  • Hertfordshire 748
  • Surrey 626
  • Essex 506
  • Birmingham 505
  • Lancashire 488
  • Buckinghamshire 479[7]

Lowest number of entries for Physics A-level

  • Knowsley 4 (Knowsley only entered 61 A-levels in 2016)
  • Portsmouth 9
  • Halton 22
  • Barnsley 30
  • Blackpool 34
  • Middlesbrough 35
  • Blackburn 36
  • Bracknell Forest 36
  • South Tyneside 36
  • Hartlepool 37

Publications

See also

References

  1. ↑ IOP May 2018 report
  2. ↑ Why not physics? IOP May 2018, data is for 2016
  3. ↑ "Degree accreditation and recognition". Institute of Physics. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  4. ↑ "Going to university in Scotland". Target Careers. Retrieved 16 August 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 "Statistical Report: Physics Students in UK Higher Education Institutions". www.iop.org. Archived from the original on 17 July 2020. Retrieved 17 July 2020.
  6. ↑ Women into science and engineering? Gendered participation in higher education STEM subjects, 2011
  7. ↑ SFR 2016
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