Physics Teacher Education Coalition II (PhysTEC-II)

American Physical Society, College Park MD

Investigators

Abstract

This proposal is a renewal proposal for the Physics Teacher Education Coalition (PhysTEC), led by the American Physical Society (APS) and the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT). The overall aim of the project is to build the capacity of the nation to produce more highly-qualified physics and physical science teachers, and thus address the critical shortage of qualified physics and physical science secondary teachers in the U.S. The goals of the project are to: demonstrate and provide sustainable models for a) increasing the number of highly qualified high school physics teachers and b) improving the quality of K-8 physical science teacher education; advocate for improving teacher education within the physics community, and spread best practice ideas through a coalition of institutions committed to this work; and work directly with physics departments to engage them in educating teachers, targeting areas of critical need. Project sites will adopt best practices in teacher education, including researched curricula and methods shown to increase student learning, and research-validated assessment tools to measure important aspects of teacher quality. The sites will collect and report data on teacher production, teacher quality and teacher retention, as well as implementation of program elements and innovations. Collaborative working relationships with prominent physics education researchers have been developed who will lead scholarly investigations to answer research questions in teacher education and advise the project on assessment activities. The project will use surveys as a formative evaluation of conferences, workshops, and other activities. Teachers from PhysTEC institutions and from outside the project will benefit from mentoring and professional development provided by Teachers-In-Residence and local Teacher Advisory Groups. With a combined membership of over 50,000 physics professionals, the APS and AAPT, through this project, will disseminate knowledge on teacher education to its members, and through conferences and workshops for PTEC Coalition institutions.