Physics In Schools - Reversing the decline in physics

Research published today by Professor Alan Smithers and Dr Pamela Robinson of the Centre for Education and Employment Research at the University of Buckingham shows how the continuing decline in school physics could be reversed. In the third of a series of reports on school physics, Bucking the Trend, comprehensive schools in which physics is thriving are contrasted with those where there are few or no students taking the subject at A-level.

The main way in which high-physics schools differ from low-physics schools is that in them physics is taught as a recognisable subject from Year 9 onwards by expert and enthusiastic teachers. For this to happen a number of things have to come together: wanting to do it, good physics leadership, a core of well-qualified teachers, a focused and fun curriculum, good results and a critical mass of able pupils.

Professor Smithers said:

While there is no magic bullet for reversing the long period of decline it does look as if an important first step would be to teach physics as physics at least from the age of 13. Crucially, this gives pupils the chance to discover whether they are good at it, like it and want to go on with it. Too many pupils never have the opportunity of finding out because in their schools the subject is wrapped up in science taught by biologists.

The head of science at a low-physics school which has recently achieved science specialist status said:

At the moment there is precious little specialist physics at KS3 which leaves Year 10 with the mindset that they can't do physics. When a physicist says to a student "you are good at this" the student will believe them. They have confidence in our comments when they might not have if they were coming from a non-specialist.

For the decline in physics to be reversed it has to be important to the schools. The top physics school in the study had turned itself around by appointing a clear-sighted and determined head of physics who had restructured the curriculum and brought together a strong team of staff. In contrast, another school, with hardly any pupils doing A-level physics, prided itself on its performing arts, and pupils were continually being taken out of science lessons for drama and music rehearsals.

There are not enough good physics teachers to go round and some schools may be teaching 'science' when they would want to teach physics and the other sciences because they do not feel able to recruit the staff.

But as Professor Smithers said:

It is a chicken-and-egg situation. The physicists teaching tend to gravitate to schools where they can teach their subject rather than the sciences generally. If a school declares itself for physics and offers specialist teaching it will find it more possible to attract high quality physics teachers.

For there to be a major revival of school physics, teacher shortage must be addressed. Not only is it difficult to recruit physics graduates to teaching, but it is hard to retain them.

Dr Robinson said:

One reason is that they sometimes find themselves the only physicist in a school straight after training and all the responsibilities are heaped on their shoulders before they are ready. Improving retention would do much to reduce the shortage of physics teachers.

Several of the successful physics schools suggested that they could play a part in smoothing the entry of the newly qualified into teaching. The head of science in one school said:

I would like a way to be found of having NQTs in successful departments for at least a year. The focus would be on NQTs learning to teach and be supported by a critical mass of good physics teachers. They would then have a grounding from which to move into departments less well off.

Physics specialists could also be better deployed. The first report in this series revealed a strange disjuncture between 11-16 schools and sixth-form / tertiary colleges. While the colleges generally had well qualified physics lecturers, the 11-16 schools often had great difficulty in recruiting (not unconnected with limited opportunity for specialist teaching). In consequence, the colleges found it hard to attract physics students because not having had adequate experience of the subject at school they lacked the confidence to take it at A-level.

Professor Smithers said:

We hear a lot about partnership but this situation is absurd. Surely arrangements for sharing the physics lecturers could be devised. Both the schools and colleges would benefit. The schools would have access to good teachers and more students could be expected to come forward to the colleges.

But, whatever ambitions a school has in physics and whatever arrangements it makes, there has to be a critical mass of able and interested pupils. This does not mean that only selective schools can succeed. Bucking in the Trend is about comprehensive schools, not grammars or independents. Some were true comprehensives, being the only school in town or their part of town catering for the most able through to those who struggle academically. The third highest for A-level physics had an overall intake a bit below the national average for five good GCSE s.

Bucking the Trend, as a good news story, stands in contrast to the first two reports in this series which had a sorry tale to tell. Physics in Schools and Colleges: Teacher Deployment and Student Outcomes reported the results of a national survey which indicated that physics - through redefinition to general science and teacher shortage - is in danger of disappearing as an identifiable subject from much of state education. The second report, Physics in Schools and Universities: Patterns and Policies presented a numerical picture showing that A-level physics entries have halved since 1982. This has impacted on universities and more than a quarter have stopped teaching physics since 1994.
 
For more infomation visit: http://www.buckingham.ac.uk/news/newsarchive2007/ceer-bucking.html