Alex McEwen

A sample survey of attitudes to computer studies

Abstract There is a general concern at present that curricular and technological change affecting the education and career aspirations of school pupils is not being fully exploited by girls. Whilst there are many reasons which can be offered to explain this trend most arise from subjective analysis or are extrapolated from surveys conducted into the factors affecting the uptake of science subjects. Much research which has considered attitudes to and the uptake of computer studies/information technology in schools has tended to be based on relatively small or isolated pupil populations but in this present study the attitudes of 1500 sixth-form boys and girls have been explored using standard questionnaire techniques. The pupil population was selected to cover a range of school types, pupil social class, ability, religion and sex as the dominant label. The survey questions were framed to explore attitudes to computing and computers, aspirations towards computer-related careers and attitudes to activities such as programming and games playing. Statistical tests have been applied to the results in order to identify overall trends and to assess the significance of boy-girl agreement and disagreement on various aspects.

Subject preferences at A level in Northern Ireland

A representative sample of 1434 sixth‐formers in Northern Ireland grammar schools was surveyed to ascertain the factors affecting post O‐level subject choice, with particular emphasis upon the uptake of science. The ability of the pupils was assessed by the ah5 Test of High Grade Intelligence, and attitudes and biographical details were determined by a battery of questionnaire items. All pupils were classified as one of four main types, viz., physical scientist, arts student, arts/science hybrid or biological scientist. Results were analysed with reference to social class, type of school, ability, religion and sex to see where differences lay. There was a greater tendency for the boys in the sample to choose science A‐levels. The percentage of boys choosing three sciences was almost double the corresponding figure for girls, confirming the fact that science is still largely perceived as a masculine domain. This ratio of boys to girls taking science at A‐level is similar to results obtained in England. How...

Science Education Policy: A Survey of the Participation of Sixth-Form Pupils in Science and Other Subjects over a 10-year Period, 1985-1995.

Abstract This paper represents a 10‐year follow‐up to research funded by the Equal Opportunities Commission for Northern Ireland. It examines the impact of government science education policy through the uptake of science A levels and patterns of attainment among boys and girls. The nature of the study allows for an examination of the consequences of developing changes in educational policy following the introduction of the National Curriculum. The sample included 1600 year‐12 pupils from 21 Northern Ireland selective grammar schools, representing 17 per cent of the total population of pupils in this sector during the academic year 1994/95. The results show that on average, boys were taking more science A levels than girls. This held true for pupils in coeducational as compared with single‐sex schools; for pupils in Protestant as compared with Catholic schools; and for pupils from non‐manual as compared with manual backgrounds. Among boys the average number of science A levels taken in 1995 was lower than...

Primary school leadership: values and actions

The consequence of legislation implemented in the 1980s for school management can been described as a growing dichotomy between the head as ‘chief executive’ and as ‘leading professional’ that reflects wider political change from social democratic discourse to a political economy one (Hughes, 1976). The research set out here provides an insight into the values of the sampled headteachers and how these values are realised in the contingent environment of school life. The data were obtained using online research journals kept by the headteachers over two four-week periods during the school year. The findings highlight that government policy of improving school leadership as an instrument for raising standards is seriously compromised by pressures of the educational market. As a result, many heads revert to a leadership style of contingency management, (Bush, 1995) coping with day-to-day contingencies, with more complex issues falling to the background of managing the school.

Science and arts choices at A‐level in Northern Ireland: a ten‐year perspective

Abstract The aims of this research were to examine the uptake of science at A‐level among boys and girls in Northern Ireland and to investigate changes in patterns of attainment from 1985 to 1995. The students level of ability was assessed by the GCSE scores and results were analysed with reference to sex, type of school, type of student, religion of school and ability of student. The mean number of science A‐levels taken by boys has decreased and for girls has increased. Boys are still choosing significantly more science subjects at GCSE, but girls are now performing better. For girls, the mean number of science A‐levels taken has increased in Protestant schools, but has decreased in Catholic schools. Whereas recent evidence from Britain has indicated the educational advantage of single‐sex schooling, with respect to girls’ participation in science, the evidence of this study suggests that they are more likely to take science A‐levels in coeducational schools and boys are more likely to achieve high att...

Teaching and cognitive outcomes in A-levels and advanced GNVQs: case studies from science and business studies classrooms

The purpose of the paper is to demonstrate how a research diary methodology, designed to analyse A-level and GNVQ classrooms, can be a powerful tool for examining pedagogy and quality of learning at the level of case study. Two subject areas, science and business studies, are presented as cases. Twelve teachers and thirty-four students were studied over a four-week period in May 1997 and contrasts were drawn between lessons from three A-level physics teachers/three Advanced GNVQ science teachers and two A-level business/economics teachers/four Advanced GNVQ business teachers. Lessons were analysed within a cognitive framework which distinguishes between conceptual and procedural learning and emphasizes the importance of metacognition and epistemological beliefs. Two dimensions of lessons were identified: pedagogical activities (e.g. teacher-led explanation, teacher-led guidance on a task, question/answer sessions, group discussions, working with IT) and cognitive outcomes (e.g. structuring and memorizing ...