Students in the UK can complete their compulsory science education with barely any exposure to the women behind some of the world’s most important scientific discoveries. A new study by researchers at the University of Cambridge has found that only one woman, Rosalind Franklin, features among 86 scientists named in GCSE-level science specifications across the country’s main examination boards.Even Franklin’s contribution is included in just one specification. The researchers say this lack of representation could be one factor influencing why fewer girls choose subjects such as physics and mathematics after the age of 16, despite often performing as well as or better than boys in science at the earlier stage.The study examined specifications from six major UK examination boards, covering biology, chemistry, environmental science, geology, physics and astronomy. Its findings were published in the British Educational Research Journal.
Women behind scientific discoveries missing from lessons
The researchers found that several important scientific breakthroughs included in school science courses involved women, yet their names and contributions are largely absent from compulsory learning material. This leaves teachers to introduce those stories independently rather than making them part of the prescribed curriculum.At GCSE level, students learn about subjects such as DNA, atomic structure and nuclear physics. However, the women whose research helped establish these areas are rarely acknowledged.The Cambridge team recommends including Rosalind Franklin in all biology specifications. Franklin’s X-ray crystallography work was central to understanding the double-helix structure of DNA.For chemistry, the researchers suggest including Marie Skłodowska-Curie, who discovered polonium and radium, won two Nobel Prizes and introduced the term radioactivity. In physics, they recommend Lise Meitner, whose work contributed to the understanding of nuclear fission.
Gender gap widens after students turn 16
The researchers also examined A-level and equivalent qualifications, known as Key Stage 5 (KS5). Here, the imbalance was even more pronounced: only three women appeared among 181 scientists mentioned in the specifications. They were Rosalind Franklin, geologist Marie Tharp and seismologist Inge Lehmann.The findings come against the backdrop of a significant difference in subject choices after GCSEs. Although girls generally perform well in science at Key Stage 4, fewer go on to study physics, mathematics and further mathematics at A-level compared with boys. The proportion of girls choosing mathematics and further mathematics is also lower than it was in 2005.The researchers identified a correlation between the scientists students encounter in compulsory learning material and the subjects girls subsequently choose. They observed particularly high representation of men in physics specifications, while biology and chemistry, which attract relatively more girls at A-level, feature fewer individual scientists overall.Dr Greg J Cooke, one of the researchers, said students should learn about the people and circumstances behind scientific discoveries, not just the facts and outcomes. He argued that including women’s contributions would help students understand how modern science developed.
Researchers suggest changes to existing curriculum
The team, comprising Cooke, Skyla B White and Stephanie Buttigieg, collaborated with the IncludeHer movement. They argue that exam boards could address the imbalance through relatively small changes to existing specifications.One suggested addition at A-level is the work of Dorothy Hodgkin, the Nobel Prize-winning chemist whose X-ray crystallography research helped determine the structures of important biological molecules, including insulin.The researchers acknowledge that the gender gap in STEM has several causes and that curriculum changes alone cannot resolve it. However, they believe that showing students the contributions of women scientists could help more girls see themselves pursuing scientific careers.The team has also developed an app to display the study’s findings and is preparing further research into how teachers incorporate scientists’ stories into classroom teaching.Source: University of Cambridge research published in the British Educational Research Journal. The study identifies a correlation between representation in learning materials and later subject choices; it does not establish that curriculum representation alone causes the gender gap.
