Nationally, fewer than two-thirds of high school physics teachers majored—or even minored—in physics. In Buffalo, many high schools don’t even offer a physics class. Never mind smashing atoms: students without high school physics aren’t even considered for admission at some colleges.

To address the lack of qualified physics teachers, this past summer 90 teachers attended Buffalo State’s Summer Physics Teachers Academy. This program kicked off a 4-year, $503,000 grant from the National Science Foundation’s Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Teacher Preparation (STEMTP) program. The STEMTP program selectively funds efforts to increase the number of certified, qualified science and math teachers.

Buffalo State College leads a coalition of colleges, high schools, school districts, and industries that together make up the Physics Teaching Partners (PTP) Coalition. Principal investigator Dan MacIsaac, assistant professor of physics at Buffalo State, is a nationally known physics education researcher. The Summer Physics Teachers Academy emphasizes “reformed teaching” methodologies that replace the traditional classroom lecture with student exploration and interaction. Instructors in the Summer Physics Teachers Academy use the new strategies to both teach the course physics content and to demonstrate the teaching method.

“Research shows that we can close gender and minority gaps in understanding science by teaching science in different ways,” said MacIsaac, whose physics education research was discussed in the September 18, 2003 issue of the science journal Nature.

The Summer Physics Teachers Academy also includes a new program in physics education for career switchers interested in teaching physics: alternate certification.

Alternate certification (alt-cert) allows professionals with a bachelor’s degree in engineering, science, technology, or math to earn a master’s in physics education without a traditional student teaching experience. Instead, master teachers and college professors help alt-cert candidates become experienced teachers by mentoring them through their first working year of teaching experience. This program gives engineers, mathematicians, and scientists a way to become well-qualified classroom teachers by supplementing their knowledge base with specialized content and pedagogy courses offered in evenings and online, as well as in the summer academy.

The grant also funds other activities to support physics education , including some funding for the Western New York Physics Teachers Alliance (WNYPTA) that meets monthly at Buffalo State. Last month, attendees spent part of the meeting creating “make and takes” – teaching aids made of readily available material such as file folders and string. Hard-strapped teachers took handmade sun clocks, star finders, and even a 3-D model back to more than 20 school districts, including the Buffalo Public Schools, Avon, Clarence, Lockport, Salamanca, Springville-Griffith Institute, and diocesan high schools.

Besides MacIsaac, the PTP investigators include Buffalo State faculty members Dewayne Beery of Physics, David Henry and Kathleen Falconer of Elementary Education and Reading, and Joe Zawicki of Earth Science and Science Education; Clarann Josef of the Buffalo Public Schools; Marie Plumb of Jamestown Community College; and Mike Jabot of Fredonia State.

The PTP coalition includes the Center for Excellence in Urban and Rural Education at Buffalo State, Buffalo State Graduate Studies and Research, Science Kit and Boreal Laboratories, Lackawanna City School District, Lockport City School District, Eastchester School District, Barker Central School, Maryvale School System, Byron-Bergen Central School, Randolph Central School, Our Lady of Mercy High School in Rochester, Forestville Central School District and the Western New York Physics Teachers Alliance. PTP activities are also supported by the NY State Education Department and physics education researchers from Arizona State University, Boise State University and San Diego State University.