The Gender Gap: Why It’s Difficult for Women to See Themselves in Physics
Women were less likely to identify as a “physics person” if they thought the people around them didn’t see them as one.
Women often feel discouraged from pursuing careers in physics because physicists are often portrayed as men. Women can be afraid of confirming the negative stereotypes for their gender in physics if they don’t perform well. Additionally, women are underrepresented in the field of physics which also means there are fewer women role models for young students to aspire to. For women to feel comfortable with pursuing a career in physics, they need to be able to see themselves as a physicist.
What influences a student seeing themselves as a physics person, and how does that interact with gender?
Students in a first year calculus based physics class were given a survey that asked them questions about their motivations and interest in physics. They were asked questions about whether they saw themselves as a physics person, how competent they felt in physics, how interested they were in physics, and if they thought people around them saw them as a physics person.
Fewer women in the class identified as a “physics person” compared to their men peers, and identified as having less interest in physics. Women also had lower scores on their feelings of competency in physics, and were less likely to think that people around them saw them as a physics person. Further analysis demonstrated that women were less likely to see themselves as a physics person if they thought that those around them didn’t see them as a physics person.
Encouragement and recognition of ability from authority figures like teachers or professors is important to counteract these negative perceptions. Classroom interventions to foster inclusivity and support women are key to combating stereotypes and affirming that women are “physics people” too.
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Study Details
Sample size(s): 559 Participants (33% identify as women, 67% identify as men)
Participants: Students in a first-year calculus-based physics course that were mostly engineering and physical science students.
Design: Correlational Study
Reference:
Kalender, Z. Y., Marshman, E., Schunn, C. D., Nokes-Malach, T. J., & Singh, C. (2019). Why female science, technology, engineering, and mathematics majors do not identify with physics: They do not think others see them that way. Physical Review Physics Education Research, 15(2), 020148. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.15.020148
Summarized by WinSights team member Victoria Hossack
Edited by: Margie Christ, Bilal Rashid
