The Secret of Women in Physics: Finding Motivations

Abstract

Why is there an under-representation of women in physics? What can teachers encourage women to learn about physics? We want to analyze the motivations behind studying physics at pre-university educational levels. 69 high school students who learned with a Brain-Based Teaching Approach (BBTA) methodology (Socratic-Maieutic style) were compared to a sample of the same N who had learned in a masterclass style. The BBTA group learned through four main steps: establishment of affective bonds between the student and the subject, argumentative class as a tool to judge (maieutic style), contextualization, and experimentation. Both groups were analyzed using the Academic Motivation Scale (AMS). The t-test and U Mann-Whitney analysis suggest that amotivation (lack of motivation) is the same in both groups, but extrinsic motivations (related to external rewards) are higher in the classic style group, while intrinsic motivations (related to internal rewards) are higher in the Socratic style, especially for women (p < 0.032). Learning physics reinforces intrinsic motivation if we consider the way the brain works.