Gender issues in physics education

Summary The under‐representation of girls in physics courses in England and Wales is a well‐known phenomenon. Many studies have been undertaken to discern the attitudes of girls to physics. The majority of these studies have investigated girls’ attitudes during the period of compulsory secondary schooling, between the ages of 11 and 16. This paper considers differences of ability and attitude still remaining between males and females who had made a positive decision to study the subject beyond the compulsory minimum level. Statistically significant gender differences were still apparent. Females who had chosen to study A‐level physics tended to be more able than their male colleagues, and they exhibited greater person orientation as evidenced by their opinions of desirable course content and their choice of careers. Whether or not the fact that small numbers of girls opt to study physics at A‐level and beyond should be considered a problem or just a fact of life is open to debate.