Physics teachers increase, but are they prepared?

Trainee physics teachers are at an all-time high say the TDA, but their training can leave them ill-equipped in subject knowledge says a new report on science teacher training

Figures released by the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) revealed 864 people registered as trainee physics specialists in 2011 – up 30% on 2010’s figures, and the highest since record were first published in 1979. Mathematics recruitment also exceeded the Government’s target, with 2,687 registrations.

“We hope that these very impressive numbers represent the beginning of the much-needed sea change in recruitment to physics teaching,” said Professor Peter Main, Director of Education and Science at the Institute of Physics.

The quality of primary and secondary trainees is at its highest level in three years, with 66% of primary and 62% of secondary level trainees having a 2.1 degree – up from 61% and 58% in 2010.

“It is fantastic that teaching has become such a brilliant career option for our brightest and best graduates, who are being attracted into the classroom by the opportunity to develop and progress professionally,” said Stephen Hillier, Chief executive of the TDA. “They are recognising teaching as a profession with rigorous selection and training that is also financially rewarding.”

However, many newly qualified science teachers complete their initial teacher training (ITT) without sufficient subject knowledge to teach says a Wellcome Trust report, which looked at the subject content of one-year postgraduate training courses for secondary science teachers.

It concluded that it is unrealistic to expect trainees to develop secure subject knowledge and topic-specific teaching skills in specialist and non-specialist areas within a year. ITT is designed to prepare trainees to teach science across the National Curriculum, but the majority need further support to gain the necessary knowledge and subject-specific teaching skills to do so.

“Students’ enthusiasm for and performance in science is heavily influenced by the subject knowledge of their teachers, so it is worrying that delivery of such knowledge in teacher training is highly variable and often insufficient,” said Dr Hilary Leevers, Head of Education and Learning at the Wellcome Trust.

The report proposes that ITT become the first stage in a continued professional development programme extending across the early years of teaching. It suggests teachers be designated as specialist or associate specialist – qualified to teach science to A-level or GCSE – at the end of the first year to provide transparency on their abilities.

The report also revealed a huge imbalance, with biologists outnumbering chemists and physicists by 5:3:2. It suggests intensifying the policy drive to recruit physics and chemistry specialists.

Late last year, the Government revealed plans to entice more specialist mathematics, physics and chemistry teachers into the profession with bursaries of up to £20,000 for those with a 2.1 degree or above.

“If we want to have an education system that ranks with the best in the world, we need to do more to attract young people of the highest ability into the classroom,” said Schools Minister Nick Gibbs.