Career Advice and the Gendered Uptake of Physics in Australian Secondary Schools

Ensuring that school graduates are adequately prepared for the transition from school to theworkforce or further education is crucial for success and career satisfaction. This paper examines theinfluence of career advice provided in Australian schools on girls’ interest in pursuing physics coursesand physics-related careers. A transformative mixed methods research approach was employed, withthe theoretical framework drawing on social cognitive career theory (SCCT) from a gender perspec-tive. Data was generated through an online survey and focus group interviews with students, as wellas individual interviews with physics teachers and career advisers. The findings show that despite itspotential to positively influence girls’ choices in physics, schools and students view career advice as anoptional service. Consequently, the quality and quantity of career advice offered in Australian schoolsvary significantly from school to school and remain underutilised by most students. This particularlyimpacts girls’ perceptions of physics as a viable future career, leaving pervasive gendered perceptionsabout the subject, unchallenged. This study is derived from a larger project that investigated influenceson girls’ physics identity.