Digital skills are beneficial for young people and society, but some individuals, particularly girls, are less likely to choose computing post-compulsory education. Coding is a crucial skill in the school computing curriculum. The authors collected survey data from 4983 secondary-school students (ages 11-16) as well as conducted exploratory factor…

Female students are much less likely than their male counterparts to take A levels in certain STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects. This is problematic for gender equality but also limits the country's capacity to address the growing national STEM skills shortage. This research was commissioned to design and test the…

Women are underrepresented in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics subjects with more girls leaving these subjects at every stage in education. The current research used a scenario methodology to examine the impact of teacher feedback on girls' and boys' choices to study a specific science subject, engineering. British participants…

During a recent episode of Radio 4's Desert Island Discs, Kirsty Young's guest--one of Britain's most influential women--explained how a further education teacher had changed her life. Heather Rabbatts, who was born in Jamaica and moved to England, found school difficult. She was "picked on for being mixed-race," failed her 11-plus and…