Motivation and Engagement with Physics : a Comparative Study of Females in Single-Sex and Co-educational Classrooms

It has been argued that the establishment of single-sex classes for females can increase their motivation and participation in physics. This paper reports on findings from a multi-occasional study among 90 female year 11 physics students across single-sex and co-educational high schools in Australia...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Research in science education (Australasian Science Education Research Association) 2020-12, Vol.50 (6), p.2227-2242
Main Authors: Abraham, Jessy, Barker, Katrina
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Academic Persistence
Achievement
Careers
Classrooms
Coeducation
Comparative studies
Composition
Education
Enrollment
Expectancy value theory
Females
Foreign Countries
Grade 11
High School Students
Intention
Learner Engagement
Motivation
Physics
Schools
Science Education
Science Instruction
Secondary education
Sex
Sex Stereotypes
Single Sex Classes
Single sex education
Student Attitudes
Student engagement
Student Motivation
Students
Value Judgment
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Summary:It has been argued that the establishment of single-sex classes for females can increase their motivation and participation in physics. This paper reports on findings from a multi-occasional study among 90 female year 11 physics students across single-sex and co-educational high schools in Australia. The aim of this study was to identify the differences in motivation, engagement and sustained enrolment plans in relation to physics between female students in single-sex from those in co-educational settings. Fine-grained analyses at a physics topic-specific level indicated differences between these cohorts in their interest value, career value, gender-stereotyped attitudes, performance perceptions, sustained engagement and sustained enrolment intentions in relation with physics. Results revealed that both cohorts have high levels of achievement motivation in relation to physics irrespective of their classroom composition; however, females from single-sex schools showed higher values for some constructs across various physics topics. This paper highlights the scarcity of research into females' sustained participation in physics, once they commence studying physics, and the difference class composition makes to females' achievement motivation and future enrolment intentions. [Author abstract]
ISSN:0157-244X
1573-1898
DOI:10.1007/s11165-018-9770-3