A Study of Gender and
Cross-Discipline
Conceptual Physics
Understanding
L.A. Kunkel; M. Balls – Student Researchers, BYU-Idaho
B.A. Pyper, Ph.D. – Director of Physics Education, BYU-Idaho
R. Seamons, Ed.D. – Dean, College of Education, BYU-Idaho
Abstract

We administered the Force Concept Inventory
to four different courses at BYU-Idaho: two
physics courses and two non-science courses.
The results showed some significant differences,
both in student demographics (e.g. gender and
year in school) and in conceptual physics
understanding (e.g. self-perception and attitude
towards science), as well as some very interesting
correlations between specific items.
Students who took the Test




American Heritage
English 111
Physics 105 (Introductory Applied Physics I,
Algebra/Trig based)
Physics 121 (Principles of Physics I, Calculus
based)
The Coversheet




Gender
School Year
Declared Major
Ranked agreement with these
statements:



I am math-literate
(confident in my ability to
understand math).
I am science-literate
(confident in my ability to
understand science).
An understanding of
science is useful in everyday
life.

Math Background






Algebra/Geometry
Algebra II/ Trig
College Algebra
Pre-Cal/ Analytic Geometry
Calculus or higher
Science Background





HS Science other than Physics
Regular or Honors HS Physics
College General Ed Physics/
Astronomy
College Science other than
Physics (Chemistry, Geology,
etc.)
AP or College Physics
Example Test
Problems

A large truck collides head-on with
a small compact car. During the
collision
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
The truck exerts a greater amount
of force on the car than the car
exerts on the truck.
The car exerts a greater amount of
force on the truck than the truck
exerts on the car.
Neither exerts a force on the
other, the car gets smashed simply
because it gets in the way of the
truck.
The truck exerts a force on the car
but the car does not exert a force
the truck.
The truck exerts the same amount
of force on the car as the car
exerts on the truck.

A steel ball is attached to a string and
swung in a circular path in a horizontal
plane as illustrated in the figure below.
At point P, the string suddenly breaks
near the ball. If these events are
observed from directly above, which of
the paths 1-5 below would the ball
most closely follow after the string
breaks?
Average Score by Gender
16
14
12
10
Males
8
Females
6
4
2
0
Totals
AmHer
Eng 111
Ph 105
Ph 121
Totals
< .001
AmHer
<.001
Eng
.0426
Ph105
.0234
Ph121
.0370
Majors by Gender
70
60
50
40
Males
Females
30
20
10
0
Ag/LS
Bus/Comm
FA/Hum
PS&E
Soc/Ed
Average Score by School Year
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Fresh
Soph
Junior
Senior
Juniors
Soph
Fresh
Fresh
Soph
Junior
Senior
-
.0815
< .001
.00242
-
.0258
.0522
NS
School Year by Gender
120
100
Males
Average= 1.887
80
60
Females
Average= 1.479
40
20
0
Freshman Sophomore
Junior
Senior
School Year by Course
Year By Course
160
140
120
AmHer (ave:1.44)
100
English (ave:1.23)
80
Ph 105 (ave:2.94)
60
Ph 121 (ave:2.23)
40
20
0
Freshman
Sophomore
Junior
Senior
Score by Course
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
AmHer
Engl.
AmHer
Eng
Ph 105
PH105
PH121
AmHer
Eng
Ph 105
Ph 121
-
NS
<.001
<.001
-
.0296
.001
-
NS
Score by Major
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
Ag/LS
Bus/Comm
FA/Hum
PS&E
Soc/Ed
Bus/Com
FA/Hum
PS&E
Soc/Ed
Ag/LS
.00609
.00404
.3155
<.001
Bus/Com
-
NS
<.001
.112
<.001
NS
FA/Hum
PS&E
<.001
Correlations

Gender and Course


Gender and Year


-.338
-.235
Gender and Score

-.476
Correlations

Math Background and
Score



.365
Math Efficacy and Score

.586
Science Background and
Score


.310
Math and Science
Efficacy


Science Efficacy and
Score


.387
.430
Science Efficacy and
Usefulness

.418
Summary




Males in our study performed better than Females on
the test
A correlation is indicated between a student’s selfefficacy and their conceptual physics understanding
A correlation is indicated between a student’s math
and/or science background and their conceptual
physics understanding
Confounding variables:



Year in School and Gender
Year in School and Course
General conceptual physics understanding is
discouragingly low!
Concerns



Do women not understand physics as well as
men or is the test biased against women?
Why are so few women taking physics?
Do physics students have a better understanding
of conceptual Newtonian Physics than non
physics students, or are non-physics students not
applying their knowledge because of contextual
dependency?
Acknowledgments
 Brian A. Pyper, Ph.D. – Director of Physics
Education, BYU-Idaho
 Rhonda Seamons, Ed.D. – Dean, College of
Education, BYU-Idaho
 The Brigham Young University-Idaho Research
in Science Education Group
 The Jacob Spori Memorial Fund
 The Thomas E. Ricks Memorial Fund