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Judith McGovern Physics in UK Education
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Physics in UK Education
Judith McGovern
University of Manchester
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2001 census
Population (millions)
18 yr olds (thousands)
England 50.43 606
Scotland 5.09 63
Wales 2.96 37
N.Ireland 1.72 26
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Physics Education 14-18
• The UK consists of 4 countries
• Each has a slightly different education system
• In Scotland University entrance is traditionally at 17
• In Northern Ireland, England and Wales it is at 18, after “A-levels”, the differences in 14-18 education are currently minor in the three countries
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Public Exams (not Scotland)
16: GCSE
17: A/S levels
18: A-levels
University
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National Curriculum (not Scotland)
• Only English, Mathematics and Science are compulsory to age 16 (plus Welsh/Irish as appropriate)
• Most students sit 8-10 GCSE exams at 16, including Double Science (about 20% of teaching time)
• Till this year, content of Double Science was quite constrained and so most students studied Physics to 16
• New curriculum allows more flexibility: consequences for Physics not yet clear, but may lead to more students dropping it
• 5 separate exam boards (inefficient for follow-up)
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A-levels (not Scotland)
• Students typically sit 4 A/S levels one year after GCSE, and 3 A-levels one year later
• About 40% of 18-year-olds obtain at least one A-level, and nearly 30% obtain three (up from 30% and 20% a decade ago)
• English (33%) is the most popular subject, then Biology, Mathematics (20%), and Psychology
• Physics (10%) is not in the top 10• Physics and Maths have declined over the last 15 years,
while 18 year old population and post-16 participation rates have increased
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A-level entries 1985-2006
0
10000
20000
30000
40000
50000
60000
70000
80000
90000
1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Year
Nu
mb
er o
f en
trie
s
Physics Mathematics Chemistry Biology
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Public Exams - Scotland
16: Standard Grade
17: Highers
18: Advanced Highers
University
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14-18 Scotland
• Scottish framework less prescriptive• 14-16 (Standard grade): Individual Sciences still the
norm, most students don’t do Physics• 77% stay at school to age 17• 17 (Highers): Physics (20%) is in 5th place, after English
(60%), Mathematics (40%), Chemistry and Biology • Over last 6 year decline in Physics is similar to that in
England.• Scottish Universities take students after Highers, but
about 15% of students who take Higher Physics stay for one more year and take the Advanced Higher which allows them access to all English universities.
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Reasons for decline in Physics
• As post-16 participation rates have risen, schools have offered many more non-traditional subjects at A-level– BUT biology hasn’t suffered same decline
• Physics is perceived as (IS?) difficult, so only students likely to do well still take it; grades are then high– BUT mathematics is not declining as fast (currently
rising)• In England, most teachers have to teach all sciences. Far
fewer Physics graduates enter teaching than other sciences or maths. Up to GCSE, many students will be taught Physics by a biologist– In Scotland plenty of specialist Physics teachers
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PGCE Applicants 1993-2004
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005Year
Nu
mb
er o
f ap
plic
ants
Physics Mathematics Chemistry Biology Combined/General Science
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Degrees in the UK
BSc – 3yrs
MSc – 1yr
PhD – 3-4 Yrs
MPhys/MSci – 4yrs
In Scotland the BSc and MPhys usually take 1yr longer. In England some courses have foundation years.
PGCE – 1yr
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UK Physics Degrees
• 46 of 116 UK Universities offer first degrees in Physics; 8 are in Scotland, 3 in Wales and 1 in N. Ireland
• 28 closures or mergers of Physics departments since 1995; Chemistry also affected
• However student numbers on Physics courses have been roughly constant over last two decades
• Scottish students are around 10% of total and so are not over-represented
• 3035 (1%) students enrolled on Physics and Astronomy degrees in 2006; roughly 80% will graduate. 13% from overseas.
• Female fraction (24%) roughly constant over last decade.
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Trends in Enrolment 1996-2006 (1)
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
30000
35000
40000
45000
50000
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
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Enrolment Trends 1996-2006 (2)
0 5000 10000 15000 20000
Sports Science
Psychology
Computer Science
Engineering
Earth Science
Mathematics
Chemistry
Physics andAstronomy 2006 2004 2002 2000 1998 1996
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Degree destinations for students with Physics and Maths A-level 1996-2004
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
Physics Mathematics Mechanical engineeringComputer science Electronic engineering Civil engineeringPre-clinical medicine Aeronautical engineering ChemistryTotal/10
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Integrated Masters
• Most departments offer both BSc and an “Integrated Masters” (MPhys/MSci) Physics degrees
• MPhys/MSci introduced 15 years ago in response to perceived decline in A-level standards, esp in Maths
• About 35% do MPhys/MSci, but varies widely across departments; fewer in Scotland and in small departments
• Most departments have a higher progression threshold for Masters
• Supposed to be the degree for “professional physicists”• Final year usually involves research project, but not as
long as an MSc (or Diplom).
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PhD studies
• Around 650 PhDs in Physics are awarded in the UK each year – 4.4% of total
• About 10% of these are in Particle Physics• MPhys is the preferred qualification for entry to PhD, but
not required. At Manchester 8% of BSc students and 37% of MPhys students continue straight to PhDs
• STFC now awards 4-year studentships. Pre-2006, they were 3-year, but students typically took nearly 4 years to complete
• Most PhD programmes involve little taught course work• Experimental PP students usually spend at least one year
at CERN/SLAC/Fermilab
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Expt Particle Physics PhD students and PDRAS
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Government Initiatives
• The UK government is aware of the problems facing Physics and Chemistry
• Golden Hellos for new science teachers (since 1998) and enhanced bursaries for PGCE students (2006)
• Further schemes to help science teachers and trainees specialise in Physics and Chemistry (2007)
• Grant to IoP for “Stimulating Demand in Physics” (2006)
• New extra payment of £1000 per student to departments of Physics, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Material Science to combat department closures (2007-2010)
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Issues for Physics Degrees
• The English degree scheme is not obviously Bologna-compliant according to current rules.– Masters qualification not needed to start PhD– MSc (1 year) or 4th yr of MPhys (9 months) not long
enough to accumulate 90 ECTS credits – max 75/yr– Separate BSc not usually awarded to MPhys students – No “Diploma Supplement” (transcript) at present
• UK favours “outcome-based” rather than “time-served” approach; credit counting takes no account of starting level or intensity of study
• Next meeting of ministers in London next week….