Calvin College
The Calvin Physics Department, Education Department, and the Science Education Group work together and share the responsibility for preparing physics teachers. In 1973, the Physics department introduced a hands-on physics course designed specifically for elementary education students. We began a major revision of the course in 1994, resulting in the hands-on course "Physical and Earth Science for Elementary Education Students" that we now offer in cooperation with the Science Education Group. We also offer a more advanced hands-on physics course for science minors who want to teach in elementary or middle school. In 2001, we revised our calculus-based introductory sequence, making sure that the needs of secondary education students were being met. This included a full restructuring of our introductory labs. We also worked with the college's Science Education Group to develop two methods courses for secondary education students: "Communication and Learning in the Natural Sciences" and "Integration Methods and Pedagogies for Secondary Science Teachers." We require all secondary-education physics minors and majors to take both these courses.





