Subject choices determined by enjoyment over difficulty, research shows

Pupils are more focused on the enjoyment and usefulness of subjects instead of difficulty when choosing their GCSE subjects, an Ofqual report has shown.

The research included interviews with 49 teachers and 112 pupils from 12 schools in England and showed that some schools choose not to offer subjects which are seen as too difficult for pupils.

It also found that subject choice was driven by three elements: enjoyment, usefulness, and difficulty.

However, difficulty was noted as one of the lesser concerns.

Some pupils also stated that they were sometimes discouraged by teachers, parents, and friends from subjects that were considered too difficult for them.