Addressing the Physics Teacher
Shortage by Master's Level Cross
and Alternative Certification into
Physics Teaching
Dan MacIsaac
Department of Physics, SUNY- Buffalo State College
<macisadl@buffalostate.edu>
Dave Henry and Kathleen Falconer,
Department of Elementary Education and Reading, SUNY- Buffalo State College
Joe Zawicki,
Department of Earth Science and Science Education, SUNY- Buffalo State College
Abstract
Since 2002, SUNY-Buffalo State Physics has established and
grown two M.S.Ed. (Physics) programs leading to NYSED 7-12
Physics Certification to over fifty candidates, with about twentyfive graduates. An attendant Summer Physics Teachers’ Academy
serves 60-90 physics teachers annually, awarding graduate credit
to over 200 individual NY HS physics teachers.
These programs will be described, together with their impact on
the candidates and our department. An overview of what we
believe are contributors to our success will also be described.
:
MacIsaac, D.L., Henry, D., Zawicki, J.L. Beery, D. & Falconer, K. (2004).
A new model alternative certification program for high school physics teachers: New
pathways to physics teacher certification at SUNY-Buffalo State College. Journal of
Physics Teacher Education Online, 2(2), 10-16.
Buffalo State Programs:
History, Overview & Current
Started in 2002 with 2 candidates
Admission stats for both programs (we claim 50-odd actives):
49 MSEd (Physics) candidates (majority cross-cert –
already certified in another science or math)
29 MSED (Physics +AC) candidates; 9 engineers; 2 PhDs
21 graduates (4 AC - 1 not teaching by choice)
3 drop outs
Roughly 3-6 candidates in admissions pipeline at any one time
Recent Demographics in both programs*:
14 women
1 Hispanic-American
1 African-American candidate, 1 graduate
(*less in-actives)
Buffalo State Programs:
History, Overview & Current
Started with:
• One tenure-track physics education faculty
• Physics faculty inc. certified HS teachers including collaborated with past
HS Physics Teachers now faculty in Elementary Education and Reading
and Earth Science and Science Education
• Several local master physics teachers (WNYPTA community)
Currently:
• Tenure track professional hired 2006
• 2nd physics education faculty hired 2007
• A dozen local master physics teachers (WNYPTA community)
Opportunities:
• to work outside the traditional box of physics teacher licensure
• receive state and national recognition by establishing new model NYSED
AC program
• received NSF funding
• institutional recognition
Buffalo State Programs:
History, Overview & Current
Buffalo State Summer Physics Teachers’ Academy
75-90 teacher seats each summer
200+ NY HS physics teachers individual alumni 2002-07
Intensive courses (after ASU Modeling Summer Academy)
2-3 week long
8-13 hours per day
maximum 30 participant teachers in course
co-taught by master HS physics teachers and university faculty
physics content and pedagogy integrated
teacher and student “hats” modes
grown to four possible graduate courses each summer
1 elementary physics and education courses
3 secondary physics education courses (two concurrently)
Buffalo State Programs:
History, Overview & Current
Physics 622- Summer 2005 Participants and Instructors
Important Lessons Learned that we feel
contributed to our success
- we built physics teacher preparation programs specifically
dedicated to and focused upon teaching one subject only, housed
within physics and team taught with appropriate physics faculty
and master HS physics teachers for professional credibility to
multiple audiences (candidates; teachers, SED; faculty)
- redefined the physics teacher candidate shortage problem for
success by targeting nontraditional yet highly motivated physics
teacher preparation audiences (cross certification; alternative
certification) SOME OF WHOM ARE ALREADY TEACHING
PHYSICS and who are unlikely to be readily replaced by
qualified candidates even if these were available
Important Lessons Learned that we feel
contributed to our success
- physics teacher preparation courses were scheduled to meet Full
Time employed adult target candidate needs – evening courses,
online courses and intensive summer academies; also help with
certification and financial support mechanisms for candidates
(Noyce scholars; Perkins and Stafford Loan forgiveness etc)
- we recognize physics teacher candidates pretty universally don't
know their physics content, don’t how to teach it, and they don't
know that they don't this. Yes, even our physics majors too -- see
the extensive PER and SER literature.
- need for transparent, operational-ized and well-articulated
definitions of high quality intro physics learning and teaching
(RTOP == Reformed Teaching Observation Protocol)
Important Lessons Learned that we feel
contributed to our success
- programmatic role of PCK is central: graduate level showcase
courses contain undergraduate physics content (absolutely
requred), lower division mathematical representations and
graduate level PCK (E.g. )
Pedagogical
Knowledge
(teaching)
Pedagogical
Content
Knowledge
(physics
teaching)
Content
Knowledge
(physics)
- in-depth use of PER-based activities and curricula; extended
reflection; use of "Student hat" and "Teacher hat" activities and
analyses throughout
Important Lessons Learned that we feel
contributed to our success
A "perfect storm" at Buffalo State College?
• institutional and physics department politics
• teacher preparation mission at college (NCATE)
• search for distinctive programs and identity
• important cross-disciplinary collaborations
• flexible faculty willing to go "outside the box"
• experienced players in teacher preparation
• growing the pie in physics department resources
• lack of physics graduate program competition?
See <PhysicsEd.BuffaloState.edu/pubs/PTEC>