Gender Differences in Science Education: The double-edged role of prior knowledge in physics

Roeper Review, Dec, 1998 by Markus Dresel, Albert Ziegler, Patrick Broome, Kurt A. Heller

This study investigated gender-related differences in prior knowledge in physics that were present before the start of initial physics instruction and the influence of prior knowledge in physics on future achievement in 8th grade German physics courses. The present data was collected prior to initial physics instruction. Mildly gifted students (average IQ= 111) in the 7th grade of German Gymnasium (547 girls and 641 boys) were asked about their prior knowledge in physics. In comparison to boys, many girls achieved lower overall-scores in the applied test of prior knowledge in physics. These findings were strongest for questions dealing with the more theoretical concept of mechanics. Only moderate gender-differences appeared in areas concerning everyday experiences. As expected, girls received poorer mid-year grades. In predicting subsequent achievement in physics, neither prior knowledge nor ability explained the gender differences evident in this study. Furthermore, the results verify that gifted children, who have acquired substantial amounts of prior knowledge in physics, have problems replacing (faulty) naive physical concepts with proper concepts. This difficulty was more pronounced among the boys.

Gender-related differences are well documented in achievement in physics (see Ziegler & Heller, 1997). Traditionally, girls produce poorer scholastic performances and receive lower marks than boys and these performance differences intensify over the course of the scholastic process. The consequences become obvious when viewing participation rates in advanced courses offered by German Gymnasiums (secondary level college preparatory schools). The percent of girls participating in physics courses in Germany for the school year 1995-96 was only 14,3%(1). Similarly, low participation rates turn up for comparable university majors and career fields.

These differences in female and male participation rates in the science area cannot be explained by ability differences alone (cf. Heller & Ziegler, 1996). Furthermore, differences in achievement cannot be explained by ability since even high ability girls score less well than their male counterparts (e.g. Benbow & Lubinski, 1995; Ziegler, Heller & Broome, 1996). Thus, explanations for different achievement results in physics based on the giftedness variable obviously cannot work. However, recent studies show that the hypothesis of different cognitive abilities of boys and girls required for such a subject as physics is not adequately supported, but rather provides evidence for comparable abilities (Sroke, 1989; Callahan, 1991; Beerman, Heller & Menacher, 1992).

Although the causes for gender differences in physics are still disputed in the literature, the focus of research has shifted during the last few years towards explanations based on differing self-related cognitions and more socialization oriented approaches. Noteworthy among the latest explanatory theories (for an overview see Ziegler & Heller, 1997; Beerman et al., 1992) is the amount of importance attached to various differing socialization experiences attributed to gender which can, to a certain extent, be effective even before physics instruction has started.

These socialization experiences can be subdivided into two components: self related cognitions, particularly attribution style, self-concept or implicit theories of abilities; and previous experiences in physics such as in optics or electronics. Research shows that boys prove themselves to be significantly more adept at both of these components (Ziegler, Heller & Broome, 1996; Dweck, 1986; Dweck & Licht, 1980; Fennema & Sherman, 1977; Eccles, Wigfield, Harold & Blumenfeld, 1993; Wigfield & Eccles, 1994).

In this study we consider previous experience as well as prior knowledge in physics, and investigate whether gender-specific differences in these variables can explain the performance differences observed between boys and girls in physics. We are also interested in performance development of gifted children who have substantial amounts of prior knowledge in physics resulting in a large amount of involuntarily naive, faulty physical knowledge. Does prior knowledge turn out to be obstructive or conducive in these cases? In cases where prior knowledge acts obstructively, can these students compensate for it with their talents? Simultaneously, the purpose of the work is to provide a contribution to the ongoing discussion of didactic in physics (e.g., Greeno, 1997; Wiesner, 1995) as to whether one can, by compensating for prior knowledge differences, expect to see a reasonable improvement in the present situation of girls with respect to physics.

Prior knowledge in physics

It is certainly true that boys have a larger amount of previous experience with physics, as well as a naive understanding of more physical concepts than girls. This is not necessarily an advantage as proven by research findings into naive physical concepts (Carey, 1985a, 1985b; DiSessa, 1983; Gentner & Gentner, 1983; Larkin, 1983; McCloskey, 1983; Vasniadou & Brewer, 1987; West & Pines, 1985; Ziegler & Ziegler, 1991). Although these intuitive representations contain information on how the entities of a specific area of physics interact with one another as well as on how these interactions can be explained, they are frequently incomplete and false. Completely different and, to an extent, contradictory naive models of the same phenomenon which are activated in different contexts can coexist (Williams, Hollan, & Stevens, 1983).