PERC 2021 Abstract Detail Page
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| Abstract Title: | Widening the Gap: Intersectional Analysis of Advanced Placement Physics Participation and Performance by Gender and Ethnicity |
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| Abstract: | This quasi-experimental, observational study examined access and performance of students in four Advanced Placement (AP) Physics courses in 2018-19: AP Physics 1 (N=150,451), AP Physics 2 (N=20,466), AP Physics C Mechanics (N=49,951), and AP Physics C Electricity & Magnetism (N=20,449); this analysis utilized an intersectional lens of ethnicity and gender in identifying enrollment and performance disparities. Descriptive and inferential analyses were conducted to determine whether the distribution of student ethnicities and genders for students who took the examinations was similar to that of U.S. schools. Results indicated that AP Physics 1 was a relatively accessible course, though enrollment disparities among genders and ethnicities grew as the AP Physics courses became more advanced with physics and/or calculus prerequisites or corequisites. There were large decreases in course enrollments from first- to second-year AP Physics courses, particularly for women who were also underrepresented ethnic minorities. In terms of performance, AP Physics 1 had the lowest overall weighted average, with the majority of students failing the examination. Women who were traditionally underrepresented ethnic minorities were found to have failure rates of over 80% on the AP Physics 1 examination, and failure rates near 50% for AP Physics 2 and the AP Physics C courses compared to non-minority men who had approximately half the failure rates. In most cases, men outperformed women who shared their ethnicities. These results present opportunities for physics education policy makers and researchers to design interventions for students in intersecting marginalized social groups, many of whom have disproportionately low representation and achievement in advanced high school physics. |
| Abstract Type: | Symposium Talk |
| Parallel Session: | Equity in Precollege Physics Access, Teaching, and Learning |
Author/Organizer Information | |
| Primary Contact: |
Angela M. Kelly Stony Brook University |
| Co-Author(s) and Co-Presenter(s) |
Robert Krakehl, Stony Brook University and Manhasset High School, NY |
