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In his Physhare post of 27 Apr 2003 22:39:49-0500 titled "Re: Would
Physics First Increase the Number of Physics Majors?" Marc "Zeke"
Kossover wrote (my CAPS and insertions [....]):
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So, to summarize, the reason on the table against physics first is
that there are not enough qualified teachers.
And there are enough qualified teachers for biology. . . [or chemistry??]
You have got to be kidding. Biology is a much more complicated discipline
than physics. . . .[the same can be said of Chemistry]. . . Newton's
Big Three are a piece of cake compared to molecular biology . . [or
molecular chemistry]. . . that deals exclusively in things that are
too small to see and labs that are ridiculously non-intuitive.
Molecular biology spends its time talking about shapes of molecules
and there interactions in systems that are remarkably obtuse. Sit in
on a lecture on the cell membrane for a week. . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
I know that many physics teachers take pride in the stereotype of the
abstruse, impossible discipline that is physics, sitting in its ivory
tower, only to be understood by the select few, the smartest and
wisest, like some arcane wizardly talent. Get over it. PHYSICS IS THE
EASIEST DISCIPLINE TO TEACH AT A SIGNIFICANTLY INTERESTING LEVEL,
BECAUSE IT STARTS WITH TOPICS THAT CAN BE SEEN AND TOUCHED AND HAS
RELATIVELY EASY LABS THAT WORK. Further it has ridiculous amounts of
research to give you good advice."
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WELL SAID, Zeke! Great minds run in the same direction. Ken Ford (1989) wrote:
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. . . . Physics is difficult in the same way that all serious
intellectual effort is difficult. Solid understanding of English
literature, or economics, or history, or music, or biology - or
physics - does not come without hard work. BUT WE TYPICALLY ACT ON
THE ASSUMPTION (and argue to our principals and deans) THAT OURS IS A
DISCIPLINE THAT ONLY A FEW ARE CAPABLE OF COMPREHENDING. THE
PRIESTHOOD SYNDROME THAT FLOWS FROM THIS ASSUMPTION IS, REGRETTABLY,
SEDUCTIVE . . . . . If physics is not more difficult than other
disciplines, why does everyone think that it is? To answer
indirectly, let me turn again to English. Six-year-olds write English
and (to pick a skilled physicist writer) Jeremy Bernstein writes
English. What separates them? A long, gradual incline of increased
ability, understanding, and practice. Some few people, illiterates,
do not start up the hill. Most people climb some distance. A few
climb as far as Bernstein. FOR PHYSICS, ON THE OTHER HAND, WE HAVE
FASHIONED A CLIFF. THERE IS NO GRADUAL RAMP, ONLY A NEAR-VERTICAL
ASCENT TO ITS HIGH PLATEAU When the cliff is encountered for the
first time by. . . (14- or) . . . 16- or 17-year olds, it is small
wonder that only a few have courage (and the skill) to climb it.
There is no good reason for this difference of intellectual
topography. First-graders could be taught some physics . . . (Hammer
1999, Snyder 2001). . . , second-graders a little more, and
third-graders still more (Love 2001) . . . [and Middle School'ers
still more (Hubisz 2001 a,b)]. . . Then for the. . .(ninth-). . . ,
eleventh- or twelfth grader, a physics course would be a manageable
step. Some might choose to take it, some not, but few would be barred
by lack of 'talent' or background." (My CAPS.)
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Yes, I know - I've quoted Ford's wise words before, but they seems to
have made little impression on either list subscribers or
Physics-First-In-Ninth-Grade proponents.
REFERENCES
Ford, K.W. 1989. "Guest Comment: Is physics difficult?" Am J. Phys.
57(10): 871-872. For a picture of Ken Ford and more of his sage
commentary see Hake (2000, pages 13-15).
Hake, R.R. 2000. "Is it Finally Time to Implement Curriculum S?" AAPT
Announcer 30(4), 103; online as ref. 13 at
<http://www.physics.indiana.edu/~hake>. This paper concerns improving
the education of undergraduate physics majors by instituting a
"Curriculum S" for "Synthesis." But because that's a small part of a
much larger educational problem in the U.S. there's a lot of material
on the reform of P-16 education generally (P = preschool).
Snyder, W. 2001. "Understanding and Appreciating Physics from
Pre-school On (or The Search for Intelligent Life in the Universe
Should Start Here on Earth)," APS Forum on Education Newsletter,
Spring; online at
<http://www.aps.org/units/fed/spring2001/snyder.html>.