Rosalind Franklin Only Female Scientist Named in UK GCSE Exams

Rosalind Franklin stands as the single female scientist named across all GCSE and National 5 science exam specifications in the UK, according to new academic research published in the British Educational Research Journal. A study conducted by researchers at the University of Cambridge, alongside institutions in the US and Australia, found that UK exam boards listed 86 named scientists in total for Key Stage 4 qualifications, with Franklin as the exclusive woman.

Cambridge Study Examines UK Exam Board Specifications

Academics evaluated exam specifications across biology, chemistry, physics, environmental science, geology, and astronomy from six major UK exam boards: AQA, Cambridge OCR, Pearson Edexcel, WJEC, CCEA, and Qualifications Scotland. Exam specifications dictate the skills and knowledge students must master by the end of a course. For Key Stage 5 qualifications—including A-levels, AS-levels, National Highers, and National Advanced Highers—researchers identified only three women out of 181 named scientists.

Cambridge OCR A-level Geology specifications feature both Inge Lehmann, a Danish seismologist who identified the Earth’s inner core in the 1930s, and Marie Tharp, who drew the initial map of the Atlantic ocean floor in the 1950s. Franklin features in Cambridge OCR GCSE Biology and Scottish Highers Biology for her work producing Photograph 51, the famous DNA image that Francis Crick and James Watson utilized to determine the double-helix structure of DNA.

Academics Recommend Broader Representation in Science Qualifications

The research paper noted that while women drove several major scientific breakthroughs during eras when scientific practice was largely dominated by men, exam specifications rarely acknowledge those contributions. Study author Stephanie Buttigieg stated that relatable role models can help keep more girls in STEM by strengthening their sense of belonging in science and fostering positive attitudes towards scientific careers. Experts suggested that educators should be required to teach Franklin alongside the topic of DNA structure, and proposed introducing Lise Meitner, the nuclear physicist who found nuclear fission, together with Marie Curie, who found radium and polonium and named the concept of radioactivity.

Representatives for the Joint Council for Qualifications acknowledged that exam boards recognize a clear need for greater representation in science qualifications as course contents undergo future reforms. Qualifications Scotland indicated that the current Curriculum Improvement Cycle provides an opportunity to evaluate gender representation in assessments. The Department for Education in England stated that girls should see the contributions women have made in STEM, while the Scottish Government confirmed it will carefully consider the research findings to address the gender gap.