UC School of Education Recognized as Leader in Physics Teacher Preparation by PhysTEC

The School of Education at the University of Cincinnati was recently recognized as a leader in physics teacher preparation by being inducted into PhysTEC’s (Physics Teacher Education Coalition) “5+ Club.” This distinction – which was awarded to fewer than 20 institutions of higher education – is earned when a college or university graduates five or more physics teachers in a given year. According to PhysTEC, the great majority of institutions graduate less than two physics teachers per year, contributing to the physics teacher shortage, which is graver now than at any previous time in history.

Additionally, of the approximately 1,400 new teachers who are hired to teach physics each year, only 35 percent have a degree in physics or physics education, according to the National Task Force on Teacher Education in Physics.

To help combat this, in 2013 UC was selected as a national site by PhysTEC to prepare highly qualified middle and high school physics teachers and provide models of best teaching practices for future teachers.

The UC PhysTEC-funded partnership also strives to accomplish the following goals to develop a state and national model for physics teacher preparation:

• Create a community of local high school physics teachers that can work with the university in providing early field experiences for UC students and mentoring for recent teacher graduates.
• Improve the quality of physics instruction, including development of new physics courses, to provide models of best teaching practices.

The program aligns with the State’s and School of Education’s emphasis on building competence and excellence in high-demand science, technology, engineering, math and medical (STEMM) fields.