If may add my own $0.02 with regard to student motivation and grades:
One of the aspects of grades that is often neglected is that there
are actually two separate student audiences: those that are interested in
the subject for whatever reasons and those who are required to take the
class in order to pursue other goals.
In order to get my undergraduate degree in Chemistry from Duke
University I was required to
Take a year of Physics
Prove that I could swim
Take a year of Physical Education (soccer and archery)
Prove my mastery of a foreign language by taking a year of German
poetry (which BTW I thoroughly enjoyed)
Take a year of English classes (freshman composition Ok, but Drama?)
Demonstrate my competency in Mathematics as far as Differential
equations
Take a year of Psychology/Theology
Take a year of History
Prove my mastery of elementary programming (C programming).
Remember that I was at the University because of an interest in
Chemistry. I sought and took extra classes in Chemistry because of my
interest in the field. While I was certainly interested in my Chemistry
classes, my desire to take History (especially in my senior year when I had
more intellectually stimulating things to do) was minimal, if not actually
negative. By the same token, large blocks of my Chemistry classes (even in
my major classes) were taken up with engineers, pre-medical students and
other science students who were not interested in Chemistry beyond the
requirements of their program.
So in your own Physics classes, how many students are required to be
there? To expect that all students in a class are motivated by a love of or
even an interest in Physics is not supported the data.
Don't even get me started on acquiring credentials to teach....
THO
Thomas O'Neill
Physics
oneill@csvrgs.k12.va.us
Shenandoah Valley Governor's School 540.245.5088
.
This posting is the position of the writer, not that of SUNY-BSC, NAU or the AAPT.