Building bridges of spaghetti is not enough

Today’s physics curriculum (or syllabus if you prefer) has become entrenched with an emphasis overly based on teaching engineering, or on entertaining students with so-called hands-on activities. With an incessant compulsion for making physics practical, hands-on or worse yet, fun, the educational establishment has watered down physics to the point that it is of little interest to the physicists who teach it.

It is comparable to turning an art program syllabus into one primarily focused on playing with the brushes, pencils and canvas; or turning the heart of music classes into being all about the instruments and how to market your music on YouTube. Important as these are to a well-rounded approach to learning art and music they are not the essence of art or music, likewise in physics.

A hands-on activity based approach is important in teaching; but it is not physics, it is a (crucial) part of physics. There is a difference between teaching physics using an experimental or investigative line over teaching it to be fun. Similarly, experimental does not mean applicable or practicable as has become the norm in Australian schools - it is a stiflingly boring physics curriculum. (Indeed if forced to choose, this specific curricular approach would be the most influential factor for my exit from the profession.)

Too many of the topics in a modern syllabus are designed to show how we apply the physics we know (electronics, photonics, flight) but do little to infuse a sense of wonder in discovering how we have learned that physics. That sense of wonder is the true fun of physics; and it is the hallmark of how to instill an interest in physics and physics teaching as a career choice.

We need to be clear and precise in exactly what physics is (scientific inquiry) and what is not (engineering). Although physics can (and should) be applied, it is a fundamental science that must be taught promoting scientific ideals. Building bridges of spaghetti is not enough.

There are few academic incentives for physics-teachers to stay in the profession, so if we want them to stay, then the courses must be authored and designed by physicists for physics-teachers. Once that is done, we can let the open market of student course selection and teacher evaluations dictate if we are right.

I (recently) left teaching physics after 17 years and have, on occasion, considered returning to it or at least keeping my options open for the future; however, in order to return, the hoops have become hurdles and the hurdles have become roadblocks.

Having taught for three years in Victoria a move to another state (for family reasons) had been an option for a number of years and therefore I gained my Queensland College of Teachers’ certification; however that (Full) registration lapsed by late payment alone only a few months ago. Regardless of the reason for its cancellation, save and except professional misconduct, to regain registration requires the (re-)submission of all original documentation including, but not limited to, university transcripts, diplomas, other certifications and a passport - all as certified copies - a CV, previous performance appraisals and any other documents the Queensland College of Teachers deems necessary; then be (re-)assessed, and finally be (re-)assigned to Provisional Standing.

Fair enough for either a new graduate or anyone else new to Queensland education, but the QCT will have already processed this documentation and assessment criteria. The costs involved in re-registration, though small, are part of the overall hassle and undue bureaucratic hoop jumping necessary to consider returning to teaching.

At the Ontario College of Teachers, my former teacher registration board with whom I have not been registered for three years now, the situation is dramatically different. If I wished to return to teach in Ontario (fully registered) all that is needed is to make the necessary annual payment required of all registrants since all of my previous documentation and assessments are stored on file. No other documentation would be required.

One option might be to use the process of reciprocal recognition between state boards utilising my (still valid) Victorian Institute of Teacher (VIT) registration. Perversely, this process requires all of the same certified documentation previously mentioned along with a certified copy of my current VIT registration. In other words, this process requires more paperwork, not less.

(A colleague of mine, a former Principal from New South Wales with 20 years experience now living in Queensland, would be required to submit to the same lengthy process by beginning as a Provisional Teacher until he could have his teaching skills assessed. He too has chosen not to teach.)