Why More Women Study Physics in Muslim Countries
March 8, 2021•
Physics 14, 33
Issues related to gender identity and the expression of femininity are key to understanding the high representation of women in physics in Muslim majority countries.
Figure 1: A new study identifies factors that draw women in Muslim-majority countries into physics. In these countries, women make up a much higher percentage of physicists that in western countries. The findings could help physics departments with a physics-gender-gap problem to broaden the participation of women.A new study identifies factors that draw women in Muslim-majority countries into physics. In these countries, women make up a much higher percentage of physicists that in western countries. The findings could help physics departments with a physics-g. Show more
Busting the “Men are Better at Physics” Myth
February 9, 2021•
Physics 14, 22
Men and women perform equally well in introductory physics courses, according to a new study that looked at the exam grades of over 10,000 students.
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When asked to draw a physicist, most people will draw a man. This stereotype is reinforced by a widely held view that women who study physics are not as good at grasping the physics concepts as their male counterparts are. Hoping to see if this notion held any water, a team of researchers lead by Tatiana Erukhimova of Texas A&M University studied the exam scores and final grades of over 10,000 students enrolled in introductory physics courses at their institution. The team found no consistent difference in the performance of men and women students [1].