I am a new member of this list (2 weeks) and I have been watching with
fascination the discussion on the efficacy of high school physics. I am
fascinated by this subject due to my professional experience. I was a high
school physics teacher in New York State for seven years. I have been a
university professor in Pennsylvania for the past four years, teaching
intermediate level courses in physics. I also am a supervisor of physics
student teachers. I am not sure on which side of the "maginot line" I should
fall.
What I experience
I am shocked at the certification requirements that some states have for
physics teaching. In Pennsylvania, certification is up to the individual
college. At IUP, our pre-service physics teachers take 32 credit hours in
physics. It is clear if a person is to fully understand physics, that person
should have as much exposure as possible to the subject. HOWEVER, it is also
true that most of what high school physics teachers need to know is covered in
physics 1 and 2. It is a conundrum.
What I know
The teacher has less impact on physics achievement in high school than: the
community, the parents education or the peer group. (To be published in _The
Journal of Research in Science Teaching_) so "we" may not be the major reason
for success or failure of the students
There is no simple fix, and no simple explanation of the "bimodal"
distribution.