Boys and girls want to learn different science lessons

Boys want their science lessons to be about weapons of mass destruction and the effect of chemical weapons on the human body.

Girls, in contrast, would prefer to learn about how to deal with anorexia or bulimia or the significance of their dreams.

The stark contrast in what they look for from science has prompted British researchers to call for curriculum planners to consider drafting separate courses for each sex.

The findings emerge in a study of what 15-year-olds want from science lessons carried out by Leeds University, published last week.

It reveals that the prospect of taking a mixed class for a lesson must be daunting for teachers.

"The responses of the boys reflect strong interest in destructive technologies and events," say the researchers. Girls would prefer to learn about their own body.

In addition to wanting to know how to deal with eating disorders, they were also interested in how to beat cancer and what to do to keep fit.

There is, though, some measure of common agreement on what they least want to learn about.

Boys opted for alternative therapies as their most dreaded topic.

Both sexes were turned off by the thought of studying the benefits and possible hazards of modern farming methods - or about organic and ecological farming.

Neither wanted to study "famous scientists and their lives", either.

The findings come from a study by the Centre for Studies in Science and Mathematics Education at the University of Leeds which aimed to find out how science could be made more popular for pupils.

It follows years of decline in take-up of the subject at General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) and A-level in Britain.

The researchers, who contacted 1200 students in England, say most students did not like school science as much as other subjects.

However, contrary to public perception, they said they did not find GCSE science difficult.

Head teachers have claimed some schools are steering pupils away from studying subjects considered more difficult - like modern foreign languages - to boost their performance in exam league tables.

The report adds that - while most pupils believe they have a role in protecting the environment - it is not something they show a general willingness to learn about at school.

A significant minority of students believed environmental problems were "exaggerated", "the cause of too much anxiety" and "best left to the experts to resolve".

The researchers said that the "persistence of gender differentials" in what pupils wanted to study could be described as "disappointing" in view of the millions ploughed into ensuring equity in access to the curriculum for both sexes.

On the question of separate lessons plans for each sex, they warn that "the dangers of a school science curriculum formally differentiated by gender are obvious".

However, they add that this may have to be considered if the Government and curriculum planners really want to achieve their commitment to equity in access to the subject.

Otherwise, they may not be able to attract sufficient numbers to study the subject - and reverse the decline in take-up of the sciences at GCSE and A-level. 

 
The top 10s

Ten most popular topics for boys:

1. Explosive chemicals.
2. How it feels to be weightless in space.
3. How the atom bomb functions.
4. Biological and chemical weapons and what they do to the human body.
5. Black holes and other spectacular objects in outer space.
6. How meteors, comets or asteroids can cause disasters on earth.
7. The possibility of life outside earth.
8. How computers work.
9. The effects of lightning and strong electric shocks on the human body.
10. Brutal, dangerous and threatening animals.

Ten most popular topics for girls:

1. Why we dream when asleep and what does it mean?
2. Cancer, what we know and how can we treat it.
3. How to perform first aid and use basic medical equipment.
4. How to exercise to keep fit.
5. Sexually transmitted diseases and how to be protected against them.
6. What we know about HIV/Aids and how to control it.
7. Life and death and the human soul.
8. Biological and human aspects of abortion.
9. Eating disorders like anorexia or bulimia.
10. How alcohol might affect the body.