Teaching Physics in Alabama High School Classrooms What do we know?

1. Teaching Physics in Alabama High School ClassroomsWhat do we know? Alliance for Physics Excellence (APEX) Physics Teaching Research Program (PTR) Dennis Sunal, Marsha Simon, Tara Ray, Donna Turner, Lauren Holmes, Kaitlyn Byrne, Michelle Wooten, Cynthia Sunal, John Dantzler, JW Harrell, Marilyn Stephens, PTR Team, University of Alabama APEX PTI Cohort 3 Summer Program, July 12-24, 2015

2. Alliance for Physics Excellence The goal of the Alliance for Physics Excellence (APEX) program is to integrate research-based teaching practices into Alabama physics classrooms via in-service teacher education, and evaluate the impact on physics teachers and their students in the state’s school systems.

3. APEXPhysics Teacher Research (PTR) What is like in a secondary physics classroom in Alabama as it exists today? Variables: • who is teaching physics? • what is the classroom context? • what physics teaching is occurring? • what are the students doing during a lesson? • what impact is the physics instruction having on students from a statewide population?

4. Who are Alabama Teachers of Physics? APEX Cohort 3 (plus total APEX)

5. Alabama Inservice/AMSTI Center Areas Selected APEX Sample – Cohort 3 • Physics teachers are selected from each of 11 Alabama Inservice /ASIM Centers • In Cohort 3 there were 32 teachers visited in the baseline survey • (In Cohorts 1-3 there were 77 teachers visited)

6. 4 2 6 9 3 1 8 LOCATION MAP OF APEX 2015 COHORT 1 TEACHERS 7 5

8. Background APEX Cohort 3 School Characteristics • 45% under-represented minorities (AL=42%) • 56% free lunch (SES) (AL=47%, US=39) • 70% graduation rate (AL=72%) • 17.6 Student/Teacher ratio (AL=14.3, US =14.2) • Average school size = 1009 students • Average school type = grades 9-12, most common

9. Background APEX Cohort 3 Physics Teachers • Years teaching science • Average = 11.5 yrs (11.4 yrs) • Range =2-37 yrs (1-37 yrs) • Years teaching physics of total • Average 11.5 yrs (9 yrs) • Range = 1-20 yrs (1-25 yrs) • Physics teachers • 53% Female (61%) • 47% Male (39%)

10. Background • Undergraduate college major- primary • 44% (49%) Biology (or biology with general science) • 25% (15%) Chemistry • 9% (8%) Physics • 22% (28%) Other (math engineering, etc.) • Teacher certification • 87% (89%) Biology (or biology with general science) • 3% (1%) Chemistry • 3% (9%) Physics • 7% (1%) Other (math engineering, etc.)

12. What happens in our Alabama Physics Classrooms? APEX Cohort 3 (plus total APEX)

13. Benchmark Indicators (from classroom site data collection) On-site visits (2 consecutive days) • Pre-visit: teachers completed 3 surveys • During visit: interviews with teacher & student focus groups; observations of physics lessons, laboratories, and student discussions. • Post-visit: students completed 3 surveys

14. Benchmark Indicators Alabama physics classes- APEX Cohort 3 • Types of physics courses represented • 27% (24%) AP Physics • 04% (08%) Pre AP • 15% (17%) Honors physics • 54% (51%) “Regular” Physics • Number of physics classes per day per teacher • Average = 2 (2.4) • Medium 1 class (1 class) • Range = 1-6 (1-6)

15. Benchmark Indicators (from classroom site observer visits) Cohort 3 Reformed Lesson Observation Protocol (RTOP) • Maximum rating = 100 • Average rating= 47 (52) • Range = 22-97 (12-97) 65 = moderate level of classroom innovation with NSES/NGSS 50 = presence of some reform characteristics 20= low level of reform, traditional teaching MacIsaac & Falconer, 2002 What do the results mean to you as a member of a collaborative group of physics teachers?

16. Benchmark Indicators (from classroom site observer visits) Cohort 3 RTOP Observation Sub-score rating. Maximum =20 • 11.6 (9.7) -Lesson Design & Implementation • 11.2 (12.6) -Propositional Knowledge • 8.1 (9.7) -Procedural Knowledge • 9.1 (9.3) -Communicative Interactions • 10.1 (11.3) -Student/Teacher Relationships What do the results mean to you as a member of a collaborative group of physics teachers?

17. Benchmark Indicators (from classroom teacher & student surveys) • Teacher reported classroom learning environment (Context) • Total rating = 54 (62) (maximum = 125) • Student reported classroom learning environment (Context) • Total rating = 92 (88) (maximum = 125) What do the results mean to you as a member of a collaborative group of physics teachers?

18. Benchmark Indicators (from classroom site teacher & student surveys) Cohort 3 Learning Environment Sub-score rating. T – S (Maximum =25) • 09-19 - Learning about the world (relevance) • 12-18 - Learning about science • 11-19 - Learning to speak out • 12-13 - Learning to learn • 12-22 - Learning to communicate What do the results mean to you as a member of a collaborative group of physics teachers?

19. Benchmark Indicators • Physics teacher preferences (priority order) (from APEX application) • 40% lecture • 10% formal lab • 30% hands-on activity • 20% other (individual work & problems) • Physics teacher preferences (priority order)(from Interviews) • Hands-on • Formal labs • Lecture

20. Benchmark Indicators (from teacher interviews) • Goal in teaching physics (priority order) • Gain basic content for college • Understanding of how the world works • Problem solving skills • Critical thinking skills Most Important content in physics to cover (Non-AP courses) • 40% to 70% of course -Force and Motion (Newton’s Laws) • 20%- Electricity & Magnetism 20% • 10%- Light, Sound, Waves, modern physics

21. Benchmark Indicators (from teacher interviews) Best way to teach physics • All referred to different descriptions of “hands-on approaches” = • Activities • Labs • Problem solving • Inquiry • Experience • Discovery • Hands-on

22. Take a Break What do you think? • How would you summarize teachers’ perspectives on teaching physics in Alabama?

23. Teaching Physics in Alabama High School ClassroomsWhat do we know? Alliance for Physics Excellence (APEX) Physics Teaching Research Program (PTR) Dennis Sunal, Marsha Simon, Tara Ray, Donna Turner, Lauren Holmes, Kaitlyn Byrne, Michelle Wooten, Cynthia Sunal, John Dantzler, JW Harrell, Marilyn Stephens, PTR Team, University of Alabama APEX PTI Cohort 3 Summer Program, July 12-24, 2015