AAPT Winter Meeting, Pheonix, AZ:
GSPER Crackerbarrel sesssion.

Answering the question "Should There Be Physics Education Groups in Physics Departments?"

Laura McCullough's notes from AAPT GSPER crackerbarrel, 1/6/97

YES:

You have to know physics to teach physics

• We now have teachers teaching physics without knowing it.
• Students are scared away from physics because the teachers are either scared of the topic or unable to teach it.

More acceptance of results if it comes from the physics department.

• Physicists gain from it.
• Data gathering access.
• A PER group in physics department can offer experiences (i.e. teaching, culture, communication) that is unavailable in education departments.

The PER group can access the upper division courses which an education department could not.

The system is not working.

• PER in other physics departments have been very successful.

NO:

Rebuttals in brackets [ ]

Education departments are better equipped to handle large scale research with people.

• Physics is related to measuring equipment.
• [A PER group does not need a lot of equipment]

Teachers get training in education. It is excessive to have an extra group to learn how to teach physics.

• [physics graduates have no concept of education culture or experience with alternative instruction methodologies]

PER research takes away money and resources from real physics.

• [better taught classes -> more students -> more funding]

Physics courses are better suited to future physicists. Do not want to alienate those who learn by lecture and who will succeed in graduate school.

This page was prepared by Michael Wittmann, University of Maryland, College Park. Any corrections, additions, or comments are welcome!!! To get in touch with Michael, send email to mwittman@delphi.umd.edu.

Returns:

GSPER Winter AAPT Crackerbarrel page

GSPER HomePage