Archer, L;
Moote, J;
Macleod, E;
(2020)
Learning that physics is “not for me”: pedagogic work and the cultivation of habitus among Advanced Level physics students.
Journal of the Learning Sciences
, 29
(3)
pp. 347-384.
10.1080/10508406.2019.1707679.
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Abstract
Background: There is widespread agreement that participation in post-compulsory physics needs to be widened and increased, particularly among women and under-represented communities. This paper contributes to understanding of the processes that produce unequal participation, Methods: The paper undertakes a Bourdieusian analysis of longitudinal interview data from 75 interviews conducted with fifteen students, tracked from age 10-18, who studied Advanced level physics in England. Findings: The paper discusses evidence of a physics habitus that was strongly aligned with notions of intelligence/ cleverness and masculinity and identifies how young women were particularly disadvantaged by a popular notion of the “effortlessly clever physicist”, which encouraged even highly interested and high attaining young women not to continue further with the subject. We identified three main forms of pedagogic work performed by school physics (attainment-based practices of debarring and gatekeeping; curriculum practices of deferring ‘real’ physics and physics ‘lies’; and interpersonal reinforcement of doxa), which helped cultivate student habitus over time and produce inequitable patterns of participation Contribution: Analyses show that school physics contributes to reproducing inequitable (and low overall) patterns of participation. Implications are discussed for science education policy and practice to support more equitable participation.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Learning that physics is “not for me”: pedagogic work and the cultivation of habitus among Advanced Level physics students |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1080/10508406.2019.1707679 |
| Publisher version: | https://doi.org/10.1080/10508406.2019.1707679 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Education > UCL Institute of Education > IOE - Education, Practice and Society |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10088298 |
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