Gill: A vignette

A topic in research methodology

This is taken from a concluding chapter of an M.Sc. dissertation (Taber, 1989). A vignette is a literary device, but has been borrowed for some forms of research writing. The Vignette offered a narrative summary of the findings of the research study.

Context

The work was undertaken in an 11-18 comprehensive secondary school (that is a state funded school accepting all students from the local community), shortly before the introduction of the English National Curriculum – thus the references to subject options at age 14, when most girls in the school chose not to continue in physics. The researcher was a full-time member of the school science department employed as a teacher of science with responsibilities for physics. The project was motivated by the department's concern that four fifths of the girls dropped physics at age 14 (not unusual in co-educational schools at the time), thus the study might be seen as context-directed research.

Introduction

In this chapter some of the findings presented previously will be drawn together, to give an overview of the enquiry results. The form this will take is of a description of the perceptions and experiences which could be ascribed to a "typical" female pupil passing through the school in comparison to her "typical" male peers. In reality all pupils are unique individuals, and probably no real girl in the school would recognise this composite report as being a precise account of her own case. However, by drawing on the various findings presented in the earlier sections of this study, it would be expected that most girls in the enquiry school would find much of the narrative familiar, with parallels in their own experiences. In order to make this chapter more readable the "typical female pupil" is referred to by the fictitious name Gill, and her "typical male peer" is given the name Barry. It should be pointed out that data was collected over the eleven to eighteen age range during a one year period of field work. It is likely that, for example, the lower school experiences of some older pupils/students are not consistent with current lower school experiences. Schools are always undergoing change and this narrative is a composite across time, as well as across a range of individual pupils.

General experiences in science lessons

Over her school career Gill will find her science teachers paying her and Barry a similar level of interest, asking and answering questions, giving instructions and so forth – both in open class exchanges and in private discussion. However she may notice that her interaction with science teachers tends to be different from the way science teachers interact with Barry in two senses. For one thing the initiation of interaction may be different: when the teacher talks to Gill in front of the class it is more likely to be because the teacher specifically addresses Gill, or Gill herself initiates the discussion, whereas Barry is more likely to be shouting out an answer to the teacher's question than Gill, perhaps seeming to be trying to draw attention to himself.

The second way in which Gill's interaction with her science teacher is different from Barry's concerns what the exchanges are about: for one thing Barry will be told-off and given instructions about how to behave more often than Gill In some lessons this difference will be so obvious that the boys may seem to dominate the class and Gill may sometimes feel that the boys' bad behaviour means they get more attention from the teacher than do the girls. Gill may also find that more of the teacher's exchanges with her concern lesson administration (giving out books for example) whilst more of Barry's interaction with the teacher concerns the science content of the lesson. Gill is likely to find she is taught science by teachers with a range of ideas about the desirability of distinct gender roles in society, and the role the school should have in effecting social change.

Gill is unlikely to be subjected to any form of serious physical assault in the science classroom, although she will learn to expect – and probably accept – that occasionally some of the boys will insult her, physically manipulate and intimidate her, and subject her to the odd poke or slap. Gill will reciprocate much less often. Gill may interpret these incidents as boys showing they are "in charge' in the laboratory rather that any overtly aggressive intent. She is likely to find that her teachers consider such "horse-play" to be a natural part of the interaction found in classrooms. On odd occasions Gill may witness an unpleasant scene between two of the boys in her class, but she is less likely to see, or be involved in, such incidents with girls in her lessons.

Attitudes and perceptions on entering the school

On entering the school at eleven Gill is most interested in studying topics related to health, nature study and the human body, whereas Barry would rather study mechanical topics and "spectacular science" such as space science and volcanoes. Although Gill is not especially interested in physical science topics as such, her interest is raised when biological aspects are considered – for example chemicals in food. Both Gill and Barry will have some ideas about which jobs involve science: for example probably recognising that science is needed by doctors, electricians and weather forecasters. They will both consider that some jobs, such as plumber, motor mechanic and pilot, are more suitable for men; whilst other jobs, such as nurse, hairdresser and junior school teacher, are more suitable for women.

First year experiences of science

During the first year [Y7] Gill is likely to receive less public interaction with her science teacher than Barry, and in particular Barry is likely to receive more interaction concerning his behaviour, and the administration of the lesson than Gill.

Lower school physics

Gill may be unlucky in lower school physics in being taught by one of the minority of science teachers who give the impression of believing that there are certain subjects that are less suitable for girls than boys or that there are good reasons why women should not enter some areas of science-related work. She may find some of the boys tend to take-over the apparatus available. or disrupt the girls' experiments, and she may come to feel that boys consider themselves as better at physics and chemistry than girls.

Gill will enjoy physics in the lower school less than Barry: her feelings towards the subject changing from being fairly neutral to quite positive, whilst Barry always enjoys physics, and by 14+ options he feels he enjoys the subject a lot.

Although by the teacher's assessment – based on course work and tests – Gill and Barry are successful to a similar extent in physics, their own perceptions do not reflect this: Gill feels the subject is more difficult than Barry does, and at first she considers the tests harder. Although by 14+ options both Barry and Gill view the tests of similar difficulty, Gill still thinks the subject as a whole is harder . Gill may become involved in some form of extra-curricular science/technology activity, although she could find that she is in a minority of girls outnumbered by boys.

At this stage Gill and Barry both share fairly firm views about which jobs are related to physics, and these jobs are quite likely to be those which they also consider as masculine. These views will remain stable through the period of 14+ options, and are likely to under-estimate the relevance of physics to jobs in health-case professions, such as dentist, doctor and optician. Indeed when making options at 14+ Gill is likely to consider that health-care professionals needs a background mainly in biological rather than physical science.

Options at 14+

By the time she reaches decision time for 14+ options in the third year [Y9] Gill may have come to feel that physics is viewed as a boys' subject. If Gill and Barry are given a choice of separate science subjects then Gill is much more likely to choose biology, somewhat less likely to choose chemistry, and much less likely to choose physics compared to Barry. Gill may choose to study physics if she enjoys the subject but is quite likely to consider that biology is more interesting than physics and less difficult than chemistry. Some of her teachers may feel that Gill's overall choice of G.C.S.E. subjects does not follow her interests closely enough, but is influenced too strongly by the desire for a financially rewarding job.

Science 14-16

Although Gill will continue to find that boys try and dominate some science classes, she may be able to succeed academically without drawing attention to herself in lessons, and thus avoid ridicule from those of her male peers who do not like girls to seem to be doing well. In practtical work she may display less confidence in undertaking experiments than Barry, although his more incautious approach need not be more effective.

During the fourth year [Y10] Gill and Barry are equally likely to aspire to 'A level' study when they finish their G.C.S.E. studies. At this stage Gill is more likely to be considering physics as an option for 'A level' study if she is following a broad and balanced science course, than if she is taking one or more of the separate sciences. Gill is quite likely to be unhappy with at least some aspects of the advice she receives concerning options and careers. She may well feel that the placement made for her compulsory work experience is not suitable for her own needs and aspirations. Whatever science subject(s) Gill and Barry take they can typically expect to achieve grades of about D or E at G.C.S.E. level. If Gill takes physics she may well be in the two-fifths of girl physics takers who achieve a grade C or above in the subject each year.

'A level' study

Gill and Barry have a fair chance of staying on to take 'A level's in the sixth form as about one third of the boys and girls at the school do so. As female and male 'A level' students respectively, Gill and Barry are likely to have a similar range of G.C.S.E. grades on entry to the sixth form and Gill is just as likely as Barry to take science subjects on beyond G.C.S.E. level where she has achieved good passes. In selecting 'A level' subjects Gill is likely to consider enjoyment and interest as more important factors than Barry will; whilst Barry is more likely to choose subject which support each other, and is more likely to make his selection with specific career requirements in mind.

Although Gill may have had some career aspirations at eleven, it is possible she may still not be sure what she wants to do in the upper-sixth. If she has got definite ideas about possible careers these may include those which require physics as a pre-requisite – for example engineering, pharmacy, ophthalmics or physiotherapy. Such ideas may well have been initiated by some specific contact with a professional role model, through an initiative such as WISE [Women in Science and Engineering], or through family connections.

Honest reporting?

Gill and Barry are not assumed names: the students described in the vignette are imaginary.

The field work for the research was carried out over a period of about a school year, but in the vignette data form various sources are used to construct a narrative of one student passing through the seven years of school life…

This could be considered to raise questions: Does this raise ethical issues? Is fiction being presented as research?

Source cited:

Taber, K. S. (1989). Girls' under-representation in physics classes: a case study. MSc, University of Surrey, Guildford.