Gender Differences in Undergraduate Physics Courses: A Comparative Study of Persistence

Ashiqul Islam Dip; Mohammad Tomal Hossain; Md Forman Ullah; Md Salah Uddin

doi:doi:10.11648/j.sjedu.20170501.13

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Gender Differences in Undergraduate Physics Courses: A Comparative Study of Persistence

Ashiqul Islam Dip, Mohammad Tomal Hossain, Md Forman Ullah, Md Salah Uddin

Published in Science Journal of Education (Volume 5, Issue 1)

Received: 17 December 2016 Accepted: 16 January 2017 Published: 21 February 2017

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Abstract

We have investigated the difference in persistence between male and female students while taking undergraduate physics courses. To quantify the persistence of a certain group of students, we have defined ‘persistence index’ as the inverse of the decrease rate of the number of that group of students while taking a specific course. We have collected the data from three consecutive workshops on various topics of physics. After plotting the number of participations against the number of days attended, we have calculated the decrease rates and persistence indices for both male and female student groups on each workshop and compared the persistence indices on a bar diagram. The comparative statistics show that the persistence indices of female student groups are significantly higher than that of male student groups. This leads us to the conclusion that the female students are more persistent than male students while taking an undergraduate physics course.

Published in	Science Journal of Education (Volume 5, Issue 1)
DOI	10.11648/j.sjedu.20170501.13
Page(s)	14-18
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2017. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Physics Education, Undergraduate Physics Course, Gender Difference, Persistence Index

References

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Ashiqul Islam Dip, Mohammad Tomal Hossain, Md Forman Ullah, Md Salah Uddin. (2017). Gender Differences in Undergraduate Physics Courses: A Comparative Study of Persistence. Science Journal of Education, 5(1), 14-18. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjedu.20170501.13

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ACS Style

Ashiqul Islam Dip; Mohammad Tomal Hossain; Md Forman Ullah; Md Salah Uddin. Gender Differences in Undergraduate Physics Courses: A Comparative Study of Persistence. Sci. J. Educ. 2017, 5(1), 14-18. doi: 10.11648/j.sjedu.20170501.13

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AMA Style

Ashiqul Islam Dip, Mohammad Tomal Hossain, Md Forman Ullah, Md Salah Uddin. Gender Differences in Undergraduate Physics Courses: A Comparative Study of Persistence. Sci J Educ. 2017;5(1):14-18. doi: 10.11648/j.sjedu.20170501.13

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@article{10.11648/j.sjedu.20170501.13,
  author = {Ashiqul Islam Dip and Mohammad Tomal Hossain and Md Forman Ullah and Md Salah Uddin},
  title = {Gender Differences in Undergraduate Physics Courses: A Comparative Study of Persistence},
  journal = {Science Journal of Education},
  volume = {5},
  number = {1},
  pages = {14-18},
  doi = {10.11648/j.sjedu.20170501.13},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjedu.20170501.13},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.sjedu.20170501.13},
  abstract = {We have investigated the difference in persistence between male and female students while taking undergraduate physics courses. To quantify the persistence of a certain group of students, we have defined ‘persistence index’ as the inverse of the decrease rate of the number of that group of students while taking a specific course. We have collected the data from three consecutive workshops on various topics of physics. After plotting the number of participations against the number of days attended, we have calculated the decrease rates and persistence indices for both male and female student groups on each workshop and compared the persistence indices on a bar diagram. The comparative statistics show that the persistence indices of female student groups are significantly higher than that of male student groups. This leads us to the conclusion that the female students are more persistent than male students while taking an undergraduate physics course.},
 year = {2017}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Gender Differences in Undergraduate Physics Courses: A Comparative Study of Persistence
AU  - Ashiqul Islam Dip
AU  - Mohammad Tomal Hossain
AU  - Md Forman Ullah
AU  - Md Salah Uddin
Y1  - 2017/02/21
PY  - 2017
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjedu.20170501.13
DO  - 10.11648/j.sjedu.20170501.13
T2  - Science Journal of Education
JF  - Science Journal of Education
JO  - Science Journal of Education
SP  - 14
EP  - 18
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2329-0897
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjedu.20170501.13
AB  - We have investigated the difference in persistence between male and female students while taking undergraduate physics courses. To quantify the persistence of a certain group of students, we have defined ‘persistence index’ as the inverse of the decrease rate of the number of that group of students while taking a specific course. We have collected the data from three consecutive workshops on various topics of physics. After plotting the number of participations against the number of days attended, we have calculated the decrease rates and persistence indices for both male and female student groups on each workshop and compared the persistence indices on a bar diagram. The comparative statistics show that the persistence indices of female student groups are significantly higher than that of male student groups. This leads us to the conclusion that the female students are more persistent than male students while taking an undergraduate physics course.
VL  - 5
IS  - 1
ER  -

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Author Information

Ashiqul Islam Dip

Division of Experimentation, Community of Physics, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Mohammad Tomal Hossain

Division of Administration, Community of Physics, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Md Forman Ullah

Division of Academics, Community of Physics, Dhaka, Bangladesh
Md Salah Uddin

Division of Administration, Community of Physics, Dhaka, Bangladesh

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APA Style

Ashiqul Islam Dip, Mohammad Tomal Hossain, Md Forman Ullah, Md Salah Uddin. (2017). Gender Differences in Undergraduate Physics Courses: A Comparative Study of Persistence. Science Journal of Education, 5(1), 14-18. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjedu.20170501.13

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ACS Style

Ashiqul Islam Dip; Mohammad Tomal Hossain; Md Forman Ullah; Md Salah Uddin. Gender Differences in Undergraduate Physics Courses: A Comparative Study of Persistence. Sci. J. Educ. 2017, 5(1), 14-18. doi: 10.11648/j.sjedu.20170501.13

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AMA Style

Ashiqul Islam Dip, Mohammad Tomal Hossain, Md Forman Ullah, Md Salah Uddin. Gender Differences in Undergraduate Physics Courses: A Comparative Study of Persistence. Sci J Educ. 2017;5(1):14-18. doi: 10.11648/j.sjedu.20170501.13

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.sjedu.20170501.13,
  author = {Ashiqul Islam Dip and Mohammad Tomal Hossain and Md Forman Ullah and Md Salah Uddin},
  title = {Gender Differences in Undergraduate Physics Courses: A Comparative Study of Persistence},
  journal = {Science Journal of Education},
  volume = {5},
  number = {1},
  pages = {14-18},
  doi = {10.11648/j.sjedu.20170501.13},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjedu.20170501.13},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.sjedu.20170501.13},
  abstract = {We have investigated the difference in persistence between male and female students while taking undergraduate physics courses. To quantify the persistence of a certain group of students, we have defined ‘persistence index’ as the inverse of the decrease rate of the number of that group of students while taking a specific course. We have collected the data from three consecutive workshops on various topics of physics. After plotting the number of participations against the number of days attended, we have calculated the decrease rates and persistence indices for both male and female student groups on each workshop and compared the persistence indices on a bar diagram. The comparative statistics show that the persistence indices of female student groups are significantly higher than that of male student groups. This leads us to the conclusion that the female students are more persistent than male students while taking an undergraduate physics course.},
 year = {2017}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Gender Differences in Undergraduate Physics Courses: A Comparative Study of Persistence
AU  - Ashiqul Islam Dip
AU  - Mohammad Tomal Hossain
AU  - Md Forman Ullah
AU  - Md Salah Uddin
Y1  - 2017/02/21
PY  - 2017
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjedu.20170501.13
DO  - 10.11648/j.sjedu.20170501.13
T2  - Science Journal of Education
JF  - Science Journal of Education
JO  - Science Journal of Education
SP  - 14
EP  - 18
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2329-0897
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.sjedu.20170501.13
AB  - We have investigated the difference in persistence between male and female students while taking undergraduate physics courses. To quantify the persistence of a certain group of students, we have defined ‘persistence index’ as the inverse of the decrease rate of the number of that group of students while taking a specific course. We have collected the data from three consecutive workshops on various topics of physics. After plotting the number of participations against the number of days attended, we have calculated the decrease rates and persistence indices for both male and female student groups on each workshop and compared the persistence indices on a bar diagram. The comparative statistics show that the persistence indices of female student groups are significantly higher than that of male student groups. This leads us to the conclusion that the female students are more persistent than male students while taking an undergraduate physics course.
VL  - 5
IS  - 1
ER  -

Copy | Download