Recent PTEC Releases

San Diego State University - Multiple Approaches

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:32:41 EST

Presented at the 2012 PhysTEC Regional Conference of MSTI and CalTeach by Phoebe Roeder, San Diego State University.

Research Experiences for Future and Early STEM Teachers

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:13:35 EST

Presented at the 2012 PhysTEC Regional Conference of MSTI and CalTeach by Gerry Simila, Dept. of Geological Sciences, California State University Northridge

STEM Teacher and Researcher Program: A Model for Preparing Teacher-Researchers

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:43:39 EST

Presented at the 2012 PhysTEC Regional Conference of MSTI and CalTeach by John Keller, Director, and Bryan Rebar, STAR Program Director, of the Center for Excellence in Science & Mathematics Education, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

New Paradigms for Physics Teacher Education

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:01:37 EST

Opening welcome for the 2012 PhysTEC Conference presented by Ted Hodapp, Director of Education and Diversity, American Physical Society.

Recruiting Chemistry and Physics Teachers:Effective Strategies from the Literature and at California State University Fullerton

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:49:57 EST

Presented at the 2012 PhysTEC Regional Conference of MSTI and CalTeach for afternoon Session C: Successfully Recruiting for Physics and Chemistry Teaching.

PhysTEC Project Overview

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:28:48 EST

An overview of the PhysTEC project presented by Theodore Hodapp, Director of Education and Diversity, American Physical Society.

Student Teaching in the United States

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 10:59:25 EST

Though few would dispute its value, the job of providing apprenticeships for some 200,000 teacher candidates each year in real classrooms is a massive and complex undertaking. About 1,400 higher education institutions work with many thousands of school districts across the United States to place, mentor and supervise teacher candidates in what is popularly known as "student teaching."

Even as the profession pushes for more and earlier field work opportunities, student teaching is the final clinical experience. During the typical semester-long experience, student teaching candidates must synthesize everything they have learned about planning instruction: collecting or developing instructional materials, teaching lessons, guiding small group activities, and establishing and maintaining order--not to mention meetings with faculty and parents and, in some districts still, taking on lunchroom and playground duties.

Passing (or failing) student teaching determines whether an individual will be recommended for certification as a licensed teacher. Because few dispute the tremendous potential value of student teaching, even alternate pathways to profession,
often criticized for taking too many shortcuts, generally try to provide their teaching candidates with some kind of student teaching experience, however abbreviated. Surveys of new teachers suggest that student teaching is the most important part of their teaching training experience.

Learning to Practice: The Design of Clinical Experience in Teacher Preparation

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 10:26:10 EST

Few would disagree that clinical experience is critical for teacher development. Teaching is, after all, a demanding clinical practice, requiring teachers to orchestrate complex classroom interactions designed to help children learn. While clinical practice rests on a body of professional knowledge, ultimately teachers need to be able to put this knowledge to use in practice. Clinical experiences during professional education provide opportunities for teachers to develop and hone their craft.

Teacher Education in Physics

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

This book came about due to an increasing national recognition of a need for improved preparation of physics and physical science teachers. Although there is an extensive and growing body of research and research-based practice in physics teacher education, there has been no single resource for scholarly work in this area. In response, The Physics Teacher Education Coalition (PhysTEC) project management selected Editors and an Editorial Board for the book based on recommendations from the physics education community. The editorial group worked to devise a set of guidelines regarding submission of manuscripts. This resulting book includes new reports that reflect cutting-edge research and practice, as well as reprints of previously published seminal papers.

Published by the Physics Teacher Education Coalition (PhysTEC), a project of the American Physical Society (APS) and American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT).

Learning to Practice: The Design of Clinical Experience in Teacher Preparation

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

Student Teaching in the United States

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

"Teacher Education in Physics" Book Published

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

The Physics Teacher Education Coalition (PhysTEC), a project of the American Physical Society (APS) and American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT), has published a compendium of research articles on the preparation of physics and physical-science teachers, Teacher Education in Physics. This book came about due to an increasing national recognition of a need for improved preparation of physics and physical science teachers. Although there is an extensive and growing body of research and research-based practice in physics teacher education, there has been no single resource for scholarly work in this area. In response, the PhysTEC project management selected Editors and an Editorial Board for the book based on recommendations from the physics education community. The editorial group worked to devise a set of guidelines regarding submission of manuscripts. This resulting book includes new reports that reflect cutting-edge research and practice, as well as reprints of previously published seminal papers.

Physics Education Research Book Published

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

PhysTEC has published a compendium of research articles on the preparation of physics and physical-science teachers titled Teacher Education in Physics . A free pdf version of the book is now available to download.

Winter 2012 edition of PhysTEC News

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

The latest edition of PhysTEC News is now available

Quicktips for Physics Teacher Preparation

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

Quicktips for Physics Teacher Preparation

PhysTEC Noyce Scholarship Application is Open

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

Applications are now being accepted for Noyce Scholarships for the 2012-2013 academic year. Scholarships are available to future physics teachers at any of the six PhysTEC Noyce sites: Ball State University, Cornell University, Seattle Pacific University, the University of Arkansas, the University of North Carolina, and Western Michigan University. Scholarship support of up to $15,000 per year is available to junior and senior undergraduates, and post-baccalaureate students pursuing teaching certification, for up to two years per student.

Teacher Education in Physics

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:36:49 EST

Preparing urban students to teach in the urban classroom: Chicago State University’s PhysTEC Program

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 17:43:23 EST

Chicago State University is positioning itself to be a leader in preparing science teachers for the urban instructional environment by incorporating innovative, research-based instructional materials in its courses and by providing intellectual and financial support to students who choose to pursue certification in science. This past year, CSU was one of five institutions to receive funding from the American Physical Society's PhysTEC Program to recruit students into teaching and provide a model instructional program for students interested in becoming physics teachers. Students chosen as PhysTEC fellows at CSU will have the opportunity to act as Learning Assistants in our introductory physics courses with Physics Education Research (PER) based curricula and engage in an action research project with an inservice high school physics teacher in the Teacher Immersion Institute. The intent of the PhysTEC program at CSU is to recruit more physics students into teaching and to support them in their academic and early professional careers.

Investigating and Accounting for Physics Graduate Students' Tutorial Classroom Practice

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 17:41:38 EST

Although TAs are responsible for a significant portion of students' instruction at many universities, science TAs and their teaching have not been the focus of a significant amount of study. This dissertation begins to fill this gap by examining physics graduate students who teach discussion sections for introductory courses using tutorials, which are guided worksheets completed by groups of students.

This analysis contends that considering the broader influences on TAs can account for TA behavior. Observations from two institutions (University of Colorado, Boulder and University of Maryland, College Park) show that TAs have different valuations (or buy-in) of the tutorials they teach, which have specific, identifiable consequences in the classroom. These differences can be explained by differences in the TAs' teaching environments. Next, I examine cases of a behavior shared by three TAs, in which they focus on relatively superficial indicators of knowledge. Because the beliefs that underlie their teaching decisions vary, I argue that understanding and addressing the TAs individual beliefs will lead to more effective professional development. Lastly, this analysis advocates a new perspective on TA professional development: one in which TAs' ideas about teaching are taken to be interesting, plausible, and potentially productive.

Reaching the Goal: The Applicability and Importance of the Common Core State Standards to College and Career Readiness

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 17:41:03 EST

The study suggests that students who are generally proficient in the Common Core standards will likely be ready for a wide range of postsecondary courses, and the more Common Core standards in which they are proficient, the wider the range of postsecondary-level classes they will be ready to undertake. We note the danger in assuming that this finding is synonymous with the idea that students who have learned the Common Core standards are fully ready for college and careers. Other important dimensions of readiness exist, upon which the Common Core standards are necessarily silent. Careful attention should be given to comprehensive conceptions of college and career readiness when
considering which aspects of readiness the standards address.

Preparing urban students to teach in the urban classroom: Chicago State University’s PhysTEC Program

Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

Recent PTEC Releases

San Diego State University - Multiple Approaches

Research Experiences for Future and Early STEM Teachers

STEM Teacher and Researcher Program: A Model for Preparing Teacher-Researchers

New Paradigms for Physics Teacher Education

Recruiting Chemistry and Physics Teachers: Effective Strategies from the Literature and at California State University Fullerton

PhysTEC Project Overview

Student Teaching in the United States

Learning to Practice: The Design of Clinical Experience in Teacher Preparation

Teacher Education in Physics

Learning to Practice: The Design of Clinical Experience in Teacher Preparation

Student Teaching in the United States

"Teacher Education in Physics" Book Published

Physics Education Research Book Published

Winter 2012 edition of PhysTEC News

Quicktips for Physics Teacher Preparation

PhysTEC Noyce Scholarship Application is Open

Teacher Education in Physics

Preparing urban students to teach in the urban classroom: Chicago State University’s PhysTEC Program

Investigating and Accounting for Physics Graduate Students' Tutorial Classroom Practice

Reaching the Goal: The Applicability and Importance of the Common Core State Standards to College and Career Readiness

Preparing urban students to teach in the urban classroom: Chicago State University’s PhysTEC Program

Recruiting Chemistry and Physics Teachers:Effective Strategies from the Literature and at California State University Fullerton