Imperial College London
Dr Jo Horsburgh

Dr Jo Horsburgh

Central Faculty, Centre for Higher Education Research and Scholarship

Principal Teaching Fellow in Medical Education
 
 
 
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Contact

 

+44 (0)20 7594 8848j.horsburgh

 
 
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Location

 

S508Sherfield BuildingSouth Kensington Campus

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Summary

 

Publications

Citation

BibTex format

@article{Wong:2023:10.1080/09620214.2022.2122532,
author = {Wong, B and Chiu, Y-LT and Murray, ÓM and Horsburgh, J and Copsey-Blake, M},
doi = {10.1080/09620214.2022.2122532},
journal = {International Studies in Sociology of Education},
pages = {118--139},
title = {‘Biology is easy, physics is hard’: Student perceptions of the ideal and the typical student across STEM higher education},
url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09620214.2022.2122532},
volume = {32},
year = {2023}
}
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RIS format (EndNote, RefMan)

TY  - JOUR
AB  - This paper draws upon in-depth interviews with 89 students from two UK universities to explore how students from Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) degrees describe the ideal as well as the typical student in their respective disciplines. We provide a comparative insight into the similarities and differences between disciplinary identities based on student perceptions. More specifically, we consider how undergraduates from biology, engineering, mathematics and physics construct the ideal and the typical student in their degree, highlighting the popular discourses and desirable traits that appear to characterise students in these disciplines. In addition to a masculinised construction of students in engineering, mathematics and physics, we found a social hierarchy within STEM degrees where biology was perceived as the easier STEM subject. We conclude with a discussion of the impact of such hierarchies on student identities in STEM, and potential implications for equality, diversity and inclusion.
AU  - Wong,B
AU  - Chiu,Y-LT
AU  - Murray,ÓM
AU  - Horsburgh,J
AU  - Copsey-Blake,M
DO  - 10.1080/09620214.2022.2122532
EP  - 139
PY  - 2023///
SN  - 0962-0214
SP  - 118
TI  - ‘Biology is easy, physics is hard’: Student perceptions of the ideal and the typical student across STEM higher education
T2  - International Studies in Sociology of Education
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09620214.2022.2122532
UR  - https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09620214.2022.2122532
UR  - http://hdl.handle.net/10044/1/99928
VL  - 32
ER  -
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