dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaPreparing graduate students to be educators
| Authors | Edward Price, Noah Finkelstein |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | physics/0609003 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0609003 |
Abstract
We present two programs that address needs to better prepare graduate students for their roles as professional physicists, particularly in the areas of teaching and education research. The two programs, Preparing Future Physicists (PFP) and a course, Teaching and Learning Physics, are designed to be mutually supportive, address these broader graduate roles, and support the development of the field of physics education research. While voluntary, PFP has attracted the participation of roughly half the physics graduate students at each of two large research institutions. Compared to the national rate, these students are roughly twice as likely to report an interest in pursuing future roles as educators. While less than one in five of participants surveyed reported education being valued by the research community in physics, more than 90% reported intentions to incorporate the results of research in physics education in their future teaching. Experience with the synergistic program, Teaching and Learning Physics, demonstrates that it is possible to replicate earlier successes of the program initiated at a different institution, including increasing student mastery of physics, developing student interest in education and teaching, and engaging students in research projects in physics education. In addition to introducing these programs, we identify some of the critical features that contribute to their successes.
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"abstract": "We present two programs that address needs to better prepare graduate\nstudents for their roles as professional physicists, particularly in the areas\nof teaching and education research. The two programs, Preparing Future\nPhysicists (PFP) and a course, Teaching and Learning Physics, are designed to\nbe mutually supportive, address these broader graduate roles, and support the\ndevelopment of the field of physics education research. While voluntary, PFP\nhas attracted the participation of roughly half the physics graduate students\nat each of two large research institutions. Compared to the national rate,\nthese students are roughly twice as likely to report an interest in pursuing\nfuture roles as educators. While less than one in five of participants surveyed\nreported education being valued by the research community in physics, more than\n90% reported intentions to incorporate the results of research in physics\neducation in their future teaching. Experience with the synergistic program,\nTeaching and Learning Physics, demonstrates that it is possible to replicate\nearlier successes of the program initiated at a different institution,\nincluding increasing student mastery of physics, developing student interest in\neducation and teaching, and engaging students in research projects in physics\neducation. In addition to introducing these programs, we identify some of the\ncritical features that contribute to their successes.",
"arxiv_id": "physics/0609003",
"authors": [
"Edward Price",
"Noah Finkelstein"
],
"categories": [
"physics.ed-ph"
],
"title": "Preparing graduate students to be educators",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0609003"
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