Date of Publication: Aug 29, 2016

Author: Louise Archer , Julie Moote, Becky Francis, Jennifer DeWitt & Lucy Yeomans

Summary:

Currently, science in England is distinctive at General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) in comparison to most other subjects, in that there is a notable stratification of award routes. The most prestigious of these, Triple Science’s (the route for entry for three separate science GCSEs), is championed by English government and industry, but has received scant critical academic attention to date. Drawing on data collected via a national survey of over 13,000 Year 11 students aged 15/16 years and in-depth longitudinal interviews conducted with 70 students from this cohort (from age 10 to 16), we discuss how most students have little if any choice over which science option’s they take at GCSE. Drawing on Bourdieu’s concept of pedagogic action, we unpick how students are channelled’s into making the right’s choices and come to accept their allocation as legitimate. We explore how selective practices around Triple Science create and perpetuate social inequalities, producing different patterns of student identity, aspiration and attainment. In particular, we discuss the identification of Triple Science as for the clever’s and problematise its relationship with the science pipeline’s. We conclude by suggesting potentially more equitable ways forward for science education, reflecting on implications for post-16 participation.

Link to Full Reading:

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02671522.2016.1219382