Gender Differences in Interest, Selection Patterns, and Perceived Difficulty of Physics I Subject among Students in the 2015 Revised Integrated Science Curriculum

In the 2015 revised curriculum, students have the autonomy to choose their desired subjects through a choice-based curriculum. However, there is a continuing trend among students to avoid physics, opting for subjects where they can achieve relatively higher grades without considering their future career paths. In this study, we surveyed the motivations and tendencies of students who took integrated science courses to select Physics I and analyzed the results. The results showed that students’ preferred science subjects in the second year are Biology I, Chemistry I, Earth Science I, and Physics I, in that order. Male students cited the allure of physics content, while female students emphasized the necessity for university entrance as the reason for their interest in Physics I. Both male and female students mentioned relevance to career paths and personal interest and aptitude as reasons for selecting Physics I. Additionally, students tended to find the physics component of integrated science more challenging than other areas. Based on these results, discussions were held on strategies to enable more students to choose Physics I.