Sixth Form A Level Students’ Perceptions of the Difficulty, Intellectual Freedom, Social Benefit and Interest of Science and Arts Subjects

Abstract A representative sample of 1073 sixth formers in Northern Ireland grammar schools completed a repertory grid comprising 20 constructs to measure their perceptions of the difficulty of, intellectual freedom offered by, social benefit derived from, and their interest in eight academic school subjects. Science subjects and mathematics were perceived as offering the least academic freedom and interest but were the subjects which provided the greatest social benefit and the greatest difficulty. The results indicate that A level subjects are chosen on the basis of pupils’ interest in them and the perceived academic freedom afforded by them. There is evidence that traditional patterns of subject choice may be difficult to alter because of girls’ unwillingness to accept the high levels of abstraction entailed in studying science; instead they select subjects which offer outlets for their superior literary talents. The fact that girls choose subjects which they like, suggests that interventionist programmes aimed at increasing the representation of girls in science are misplaced. The imposition of science for all to the age of 16 through a National Curriculum is therefore unlikely to increase either the proportion of girls studying science and mathematics after the period when these are compulsory (at the end of Key Stage 4) or the total number of science graduates. The survey results signal a need for a review of the relative difficulty of GCSE and A level courses in arts and science subjects.