The aims of this research were: to define a set of physics competences and explore their mastery by a population of physics learners who had succeeded to achieve at least the A level physics qualification, or an equivalent; to find the extent of physics learners’ competences that enabled success, hence creating a positive and inclusive narrative in physics learning.
Physics learning was explored using data collected by an online questionnaire from 657 respondents of gender parity, aged 18-75+years, 98% of whom were STEM graduates. 38% had graduated as physicists, 31% as engineers, 29% other STEM subjects and 2% non-STEM.
Physics Competences were identified and categorised as Representation, Experimental Investigation, Problem Solving, Thinking and Reasoning, and Modelling. These were derived from the work of researchers Niss and Dolin and authorities on physics, which included the Tuning Committee and the Institute of Physics. These Physics Competences were described by 46 Indicators in everyday language to provide a common understanding for all stakeholders – students, educators, assessors and employers – of doing physics and what is required to succeed in physics. The Indicators were scored by respondents on a four point scale as a measure of mastery of physics and thus ranked the indicators on levels of challenge. A mathematical data handling process converted the four point scale to a continuous scale of bell shape distribution, as a calibrated Scale of Mastery for the STEM graduate respondents.
Participants also undertook a self-assessment as physics learners, choosing from a list of 69 descriptors that encompassed Learning Characteristics, Learning Competences, Physics Identity and Cognitive Competences, to produce a Physics Learning Profile.
Significant gender differences were found for both the mastery of Physics Competences and the Learning Profile. Within these differences, the Physics Identity of males was self-reported with a stronger cognitive competence narrative while females expressed a stronger procedural competence narrative. In both cases, especially among physicists, the academic qualification by gender were equally distributed at all levels of education from A level to PhD.
Narrative responses on challenges to learning physics found the most negative impact related to the school environment, its policies and culture. 37% of female physics learners had to counter stereotypes, lacked peer support and lacked validation of their physics ability. 55% of all respondents reported on heuristic learning in their childhood and teenage pursuits that had induced physics interest, developed investigation skills and established prior knowledge which helped elucidate and consolidate physics understanding.
86% of the non-physics-graduate respondents reported the benefit of a physics grounding in supporting and furthering their careers, through transferable cognitive competences and acquired subject related competences.
The findings and outcomes of this research were a Learning Profile and a Scale of Mastery for a set of Physics Competences. These provide a signature by which potential students of physics could self-identify and assess their physics learning capacity. These outcomes may encourage greater uptake of physics at A level and inform on mastery of physics for success.
