Exploring Gender Difference in Motivation, Engagement and Enrolment Behaviour of Senior Secondary Physics Students in New South Wales

Abraham, Jessy; Barker, Katrina L

doi:10.1007/s11165-014-9413-2

Cited by 39 publications

(34 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…Scantlebury (2012) has long argued for research that focuses on teacher attitudes and classroom practices that impact females in science; for the high-achieving young women in this study, teachers are crucial mediators in their achievement and aspirations in science. The students at one school described an extremely supportive teacher ("I think my physics teacher specifically goes out of his way to help the girls"), which resonates with findings by Abraham and Barker (2015a) who showed the importance of teachers using supportive pedagogical approaches. This is also consistent with Krogh and Thomsen's (2005) findings that female students' relationships with their teachers play an important role in student learning.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 71%

“…Systematic analysis of the interview data confirms that the influences on these females' choices to stay engaged in science, and to study physics at upper secondary comprise a combination of their school's science culture, their teachers, family, the participants themselves and their peers. Our findings add to survey data that have examined predictive influences on students' engagement with, and enrolment plans in upper school physics using the Sustained Enrolment Models for Physics (SEMP) for Year 11 students (Abraham & Barker 2015a, 2015b. Additionally, our findings complement large-scale, cross-national comparisons such as PISA.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 52%

“…Declining levels of participation are likely to have consequences for physics enrolment at university, as high school mathematics was found to be a strong predictor of achievement in university physics courses in the USA (Hazari et al 2007). A large survey of students enrolled in Year 11 physics in schools in New South Wales reported little gender difference in motivation or engagement but rather "differences in the degree to which boys and girls are motivated" (p. 59) noting that there was no consistent pattern of a gender difference across the four modules studied (Abraham & Barker 2015a). The authors suggested that in studying physics in Year 11, females were "most likely [to] possess high motivation and engagement for physics that is on par with their male counterparts" (Abraham & Barker 2015a, p. 67).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Female senior secondary physics students’ engagement in science: a qualitative study of constructive influences

et al. 2017

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Background: Prompted by fewer females compared to males enrolling in physics and advanced mathematics at both secondary and university levels, our research investigated the views and experiences of female students currently studying upper secondary school physics. We interviewed 18 female students about influences they considered important to their own science education, interest in science, and future science-related aspirations. Our purpose was to identify the experiences that these students most strongly associated with the generation and maintenance of their engagement in science, particularly represented in this research by their enrolment in upper secondary physics.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 71%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 52%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Female senior secondary physics students’ engagement in science: a qualitative study of constructive influences

et al. 2017

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“…In some cases, the shift between terms was clear enough. So, for example, in a study concerned with gender differences in motivation and engagement of senior secondary physics students (Abraham & Barker 2014), alpha is directly linked with both terms: "In preliminary analysis, we examined the Cronbach's alpha estimate of internal consistency of each a priori scale… Specifically, support for the six-factor model requires (a) acceptable reliability for each scale (i.e. alpha = 0.70 or above)…" (p.63, emphases added).…”

Section: Describing the Significance Of Alphamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This underlines how the alpha statistic always relates to a particular administration of an instrument. Abraham and Barker (2014) administered their Physics Motivation Questionnaire, a 22-item instrument "measuring six constructs" (p.62) in the context of a sequence of modules (waves, electricity, motion, the cosmic engine) studied by year 11 students in Sydney such that the same items (e.g. "I know I am able to do well in this module") referred to different module contexts in different administrations, so that alpha might be expected to shift between administrations.…”

Section: Examples Of Alpha Cited In Measuring Cognitive Constructsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Use of Cronbach’s Alpha When Developing and Reporting Research Instruments in Science Education

2017

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Cronbach's alpha is a statistic commonly quoted by authors to demonstrate that tests and scales that have been constructed or adopted for research projects are fit for purpose. Cronbach's alpha is regularly adopted in studies in science education: it was referred to in 69 different papers published in 4 leading science education journals in a single year (2015)-usually as a measure of reliability. This article explores how this statistic is used in reporting science education research and what it represents. Authors often cite alpha values with little commentary to explain why they feel this statistic is relevant and seldom interpret the result for readers beyond citing an arbitrary threshold for an acceptable value. Those authors who do offer readers qualitative descriptors interpreting alpha values adopt a diverse and seemingly arbitrary terminology. More seriously, illustrative examples from the science education literature demonstrate that alpha may be acceptable even when there are recognised problems with the scales concerned. Alpha is also sometimes inappropriately used to claim an instrument is unidimensional. It is argued that a high value of alpha offers limited evidence of the reliability of a research instrument, and that indeed a very high value may actually be undesirable when developing a test of scientific knowledge or understanding. Guidance is offered to authors reporting, and readers evaluating, studies that present Cronbach's alpha statistic as evidence of instrument quality.

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Counter‐narratives for the prevention of violent radicalisation: A systematic review of targeted interventions

Carthy

Doody

Cox

et al. 2020

Campbell Systematic Reviews

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Executive summary/Abstract Background In the field of terrorism research, the violent radicalisation of individuals towards perpetrating acts of terror has been the subject of academic enquiry for some time. One core focus by social scientists has been the role of narratives in this process. Narratives have the ability to present a socially constructed version of reality which serves the interest of the narrator(s). In the context of terrorism, by depicting violence as a viable antidote to individual vulnerabilities, the narratives purported for propagandistic purposes have the potential to thwart perceptions of instrumentality (a key characteristic of violent radicalisation). In order to prevent this from happening, researchers and counter‐terrorism practitioners have increasingly sought to explore the potential for counter‐narratives; targeted interventions that challenge the rationalisation(s) of violence purported in dominant narratives which, in turn, reconstructs the story. However, there is overwhelming consensus in both government and academic spheres that the concept of the counter‐narrative is underdeveloped and, to date, there has been no synthesis of its effectiveness at targeting violent radicalisation‐related outcomes. Objectives The objective of this review was to provide a synthesis of the effectiveness of counter‐narratives in reducing the risk of violent radicalisation. Search Methods After a scoping exercise, the literature was identified through four search stages, including key‐word searches of 12 databases, hand searches of reference lists of conceptual papers or books on the topic of counter‐narratives, as well as direct contact with experts and professional agencies in the field. Selection Criteria Studies adopting an experimental or quasiexperimental design where at least one of the independent variables involved comparing a counter‐narrative to a control (or comparison exposure) were included in the review. Data Collection and Analysis Accounting for duplicates, a total of 2,063 records were identified across two searches. Nineteen studies across 15 publications met the inclusion criteria. These studies were largely of moderate quality and 12 used randomised control trial designs with varying types of controls. The publication years ranged from 2000 to 2018, with the majority of studies published after 2015. The studies represented a range of geographical locations, but the region most heavily represented was North America. In most cases, the dominant narrative(s) “to‐be‐countered” comprised of hostile social constructions of an adversary or “out‐group”. The majority of studies challenged these dominant narratives through the use of stereotype‐challenging, prosocial, or moral “exemplars”. Other techniques included the use of alternative accounts, inoculation and persuasion. Results In terms of risk factors for violent radicalisation, there was some disparity on intervention effectiveness. Overall, when pooling all outcomes, the intervention showed a small effect. However, the observed ef...

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Exploring Gender Difference in Motivation, Engagement and Enrolment Behaviour of Senior Secondary Physics Students in New South Wales

Cited by 39 publications

References 32 publications

Female senior secondary physics students’ engagement in science: a qualitative study of constructive influences

Female senior secondary physics students’ engagement in science: a qualitative study of constructive influences

The Use of Cronbach’s Alpha When Developing and Reporting Research Instruments in Science Education

Counter‐narratives for the prevention of violent radicalisation: A systematic review of targeted interventions

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