Physics Education: Making it Better (?)

Peter MainDirector, Education and Science Teacher Update, University of Sussex23 March 2013

peter.main@iop.org, www.iop.org

Plan

Emerging from the gloom: some statistics

Standards and Assessments

Curriculum

Widening Participation

Summary

EMERGING FROM THE GLOOM

SOME STATISTICS

When I arrived at the Institute in 2002 The was no such thing as a physics teacher – only science

teachers We needed ~ 700 new physics teachers a year to stop

numbers falling further and were getting 300 – 400 A-level numbers had fallen from ~ 55,000 in the mid-

eighties to ~ 27,000 The number of universities offering a physics degree had

fallen from 72 to 46 ….and everyone was very miserable

The Good News!

Government set separate targets for physics chemistry and biology teachers

IOP marketing campaign and government and IOP offer ITT Scholarships

Record ITT entries for last 3 years

5 departments (re-)introducing new physics degrees

University entrants rocketing

A-level numbers recovering well

HE Statistics: Gathering Statistics

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3500

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1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Nu

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f ac

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Year

Acceptances to first degrees for males & females in physics 1990-2011 (source PCAS + UCCA 90-93 & UCAS 94-11).Note: gap relates to the end of the binary divide

A-levels: Statistics

Physics Teachers

In 2011, IOP identified a shortage of > 4000 specialist teachers (out of 10000 - 11000)

Estimated ~1000 recruits a year for 15 years to restore parity with chemistry and biology (average was ~ 400 a year)

Managed to persuade government to introduce Physics with Maths as a teaching route

Now beginning to reach required levels and with 50% of entrants with “good degrees”

Future?

School Direct Government seems very keen…. …but huge issues

Expert Teachers Keeping good teachers in classroom “Expert Teacher” status Career route via external developmental activity

STANDARDS

and

ASSESSMENTS

Grade Severity of A-levels

2011 questionExplain what is meant by work done [1]

A car is travelling along a road that has a uniform downhill gradient as shown

The car has a mass 850kg. The angle of the road is 7.5o.

Calculate the component of the weight of the car down the slope (units given) [2]

The car travels at a constant speed of 25 m s-1 and the driver applies the brakes to stop the car. The constant force resisting the motion is 4600N

(i) Show that the deceleration of the car is 4.1ms-1 (equation given)

(ii) Calculate the distance the car travels from when the brakes are applied to when the car comes to rest [2] (equation and units given)

(iii) Calculate the loss in KE of the car (equation and units given) [2]

(iv) The work done by the resisting force (units given) [1]

(v) Explain why the two quantities in (iii) and (iv) are not equal [1]

1986 question

A model electric train of mass 1kg runs on a level track at a steady speed of 0.4ms-1. The resistance to forward motion is 4N.

(i) What is the magnitude of the forward force exerted by the engine [1]

(ii) Calculate the power required to maintain this speed [2]

(iii) Calculate the current required to produce this power from a 12V battery [2]

(iv) Calculate the extra power required when this train climbs a slope of 1 in 20 (see diagram) at the same steady speed. [3]

Comparison

In 1986 no formulae or units given

Much less structured in 1986: final part more demanding

In 1986 synthesis of electricity and mechanics

O-levels and A-levels

Up to late 1980s, Physics O-level was optional (numbers increasing year by year)

A-levels numbers ~ 50,000 (cf ~30,000 today)

At age ~16, pupils spent about 12.5% of their time on Physics, if they did it

When GCSEs and double science came in, pupils spent about 6.7% of their time doing physics (then there was HSW…)

A-levels: Mathematics

Mind the Gap report on the degree to which physics and engineering students are prepared mathematically for their courses

Followed up with a seminar involving DfE, Ofqual and all awarding bodies

SCORE report Mathematics in Science: awarding bodies not even assessing the mathematics they have in the specifications

A-levels: Mind the Gap (IOP 2011)

A-levels: Ofqual Review

“I am troubled by reports from learned bodies such as the Institute of Physics.”

Letter from Michael Gove to Ofqual, April 2012

“We will want to be sure that respected university departments and learned societies support the content defined for each new A level.”

Letter from Glenys Stacey (CEO Ofqual) to Michael Gove

Adding it all up Physics is the “hardest” A-level Physics A-level is much easier than it used to be…. ….when there were 60+% more people taking it Big step from GCSE to A-level Universities feel there is not enough maths in physics

A-level

one hell of a mess

HE Statistics: destinations of A-level students

85% of those with A-level physics also had A-level maths or FM

~97% of students with A-level physics go to university, most to do STEM(M) subjects

Only ~10% of Physics A-level students choose to follow a physics degree (around 25%-30% go to engineering)

46% of physics entrants had >480 UCAS points (math 40%, chem 30%, bio 21%, EE 14%)

A-level Assessment: the Proposals Mr Gove asked Russell Group to advise on A-levels

They have reluctantly agreed for the “facilitating subjects”, including physics

But they have told us that they want no part to play in assessment

Therefore, it is likely current “race to the bottom” will continue with awarding bodies unchecked.

Also decoupled AS-levels from A-levels (whatever that means)

A-level Assessment: what the IOP would like National Subject Committees

Convened by independent body (learned society where appropriate)

No commercial interest in process Involves academics, teachers and employers Sets criteria for content Sets criteria for assessment Plays a role in monitoring assessment

GCSE Assessment: the proposals “ More challenging” GCSEs Totally opaque process for setting criteria – no real consultation For EBAC, students must take 3 sciences out of 4 (now includes

Computer Science) and pass 2. (i.e. can drop a core science after KS3)

New school accountability proposals at KS4 “Super 8” replaces 5 GCSEs at A* to C Super 8 has English, maths + best 3 EBAC subjects + best 3 others Calculated on a value-added basis

GCSE Assessment: the Future

With the majority of schools not following the National Curriculum, it is vital we get the KS4 exams right.

Ideally, the GCSEs could also be in national subject committees

We must protect laboratory work

Why do we need more than one awarding body? (as opposed to more than one specification)

CURRICULUM

What do we want from a physics curriculum? Needs to be coherent with what goes before and what comes

after

Needs to be coherent with other subjects

Needs to give everyone an authentic feel of what physics is (including lab work)

Needs to challenge and excite (or is that the teachers?)

Definitions (Concise Oxford Dictionary) Biology

Study of living organisms

Chemistry Study of the elements, the compounds they form and the reactions

they undergo.

Physics Science dealing with the properties and interactions of matter and

energy (!)

My definition of physics …a way of thinking, a reductionist view of the world where phenomena

can be understood in terms of a relatively small number of physical laws and limited only by the complexity of a system or phenomena.

Consequences: This reductionist definition purposely removes reference to content. It distinguishes the physicist from the engineer. The process develops critical thinking skills. The process requires mathematical manipulations. The process also requires careful measurement and instrumentation.

The “Big Ideas” of Physics Reductionism. Causality Universality Mathematical modelling Conservation Equilibrium Differences cause change Dissipation and irreversibility. Symmetry and broken symmetry.

Thinking Like a Physicist critical thinking and scepticism deep understanding seeking consistency quantitative understanding developing models of systems simplifying situations to their core elements Approximation. Limiting cases etc. isolating phenomena to test experimentally refining models through the sequence of experiment -> model -> prediction -> test; accepting explanations that are beyond ‘common sense’.

Making the curriculum better

Can we bring some of these ideas into the teaching of physics in schools?

SCORE (us, the RSC, SB, ASE and Royal Society) have published guidelines on how to make good science GCSEs: see www.iop.org/guidelines

Guidelines include suggestions on practical work

See also article in Physics World, April 2013

WIDENING PARTICPATION

Areas of Concern

Two Major Issues Girls in Physics Socio-economic background

Also Ethnicity – project in West London school – large increase in A-

level numbers STEM Disability Committee

Raising Aspirations in Physics

Working with a school in the NE

Already identified many issues: Lack of parental knowledge of the “system” Lack of parental knowledge of what jobs there are Students lack confidence and can be intimidated by many interventions Basic literacy and numeracy No physics department in Newcastle University

Girls in Physics

1 English 63838

2 Psychology 41308

3 Biology 35664

4 Art and Design subjects 34523

5 Mathematics 34301

6 History 26491

7 Sociology 23514

8 Chemistry 23260

15 French 8593

16 Economics 8037

17 Law 7994

18 Physics 7361

19 Design and Technology 7298

20 Political Studies 6591

24 Spanish 4871

25 ICT 4284

26 Mathematics Further 3972

27 Music 3790

36 Irish 203

1 Mathematics 51413

2 Biology 27410

3 Physics 27148

4 Chemistry 25974

5 English 25800

6 History 25161

14 Physical Education 11030

15 Design and Technology 9807

16 Mathematics Further 9251

17 Political Studies 8669

18 Sociology 7843

19 Religious Studies 7298

20 ICT 6804

24 Drama 4763

25 Other modern languages 4020

26 French 3918

27 Computing 3512

36 Irish 101

A-level subjects for female students 2012 A-level subjects for male students 2012

It’s Different for Girls An exploration of data from the National Pupil Data-base

Looking at progression to A-level physics from different types of school at KS4.

Assuming that pupils’ experience of KS4 will be a critical factor in choice of A levels.

Are there patterns in the type of school where pupils’ sat their GCSEs and progression on to A-level physics?

Girls in Physics: what we would like to happen

Ofsted to help schools take their Public Sector Diversity Duty seriously

Benchmarking against national figures in stereotyped subjects (physics, MFL etc.)

A move away from the “tried and Inadequate” exercises (role models, special workshops etc.) to new projects

Girls in Physics: new ideas Benchmarking and Ofsted

Contacting Heads and governors in schools guilty of worst stereotyping and offering resources to combat gender stereotyping.

“Priming”: convincing girls they are good at the subject

Girls taking responsibility: Physics is a Feminist Issue

Whole school work with all teachers

SUMMARY

Physics is actually in better health than for decades – golden opportunity to make it even stronger

Assessment regimes in school like a house with “opportunities for the DIY expert” – it is not fit for purpose

There are once-in-a-generation opportunities if we can grasp them

Points to Discuss Standards National Subject Committees and assessment Transition to HE Safeguarding laboratory work Dealing with awarding bodies School accountability “Expert Teachers” How to include the “big ideas of physics” Girls in Physics measures

Thank You!

Professor Peter MainDirector, Education and ScienceSEPnet Teacher UpdateUniversity of Sussex23 March 2013

peter.main@iop.org, www.iop.org