The ADR Wales Education team have published a blog in The Conversation that asks ‘Why science GCSEs matter more than we think in a post‑truth age.’ Drawing on their research, the authors suggest that success in GCSE science may predict academic achievement far beyond the laboratory.
The researchers analysed linked administrative data from more than 8,000 pupils, comparing science performance at age 15 with results in six popular post-16 subjects, including maths, biology, history, chemistry, English literature and physics. While high-performing science students were expected to excel in science A-levels, researchers were surprised to find that strong GCSE science results also predicted higher grades across humanities subjects. In particular, GCSE science proved to be a stronger indicator of later success in history and English literature than GCSE maths, and a better predictor of achievement in history than GCSE English language.
The findings challenge long-standing assumptions about the role of science education in schools. Researchers argue that science classrooms may develop transferable skills such as evaluating evidence, reasoning through uncertainty and distinguishing claims from data — abilities increasingly important in both academic study and everyday civic life.
The study also raises questions about current education priorities, as maths and English are routinely used to determine post-16 opportunities while science is often viewed mainly as preparation for scientific careers.