Joint Statement on the Education of Future Teachers
In 1999, the AIP member societies, including the American Institute of Physics (AIP), the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT), and the APS endorsed the following statement about science teacher preparation.
The scientific societies listed below urge the physics community, specifically physical science and engineering departments and their faculty members, to take an active role in improving the pre-service training of K-12 physics/science teachers. Improving teacher training involves building cooperative working relationships between physicists in universities and colleges and the individuals and groups involved in teaching physics to K- 12 students. Strengthening the science education of future teachers addresses the pressing national need for improving K-12 physics education and recognizes that these teachers play a critical education role as the first and often-times last physics teacher for most students. While this responsibility can be manifested in many ways, research indicates that effective pre-service teacher education involves hands-on, laboratory-based learning. Good science and mathematics education will help create a scientifically literate public, capable of making informed decisions on public policy involving scientific matters. A strong K-12 physics education is also the first step in producing the next generation of researchers, innovators, and technical workers.
Endorsing societies:
- American Physical Society
- American Association of Physics Teachers
- American Astronomical Society
- American Institute of Physics
- Acoustical Society of America
- American Association of Physicists in Medicine
- American Vacuum Society
- Optical Society of America
In April of 2003, the APS wrote to all physics department heads in colleges and universities in the US asking for their departments to endorse the above statement. Currently, the following 320 departments have given their endorsement. To add your physics department's endorsement, write to Ed Lee at APS.
| Abilene Christian University Albertson College of Idaho Alma College Amherst College Anderson University Andrews University Angelo State University Appalachian State University Arizona State University Auburn University Augsburg College Augusta State University Ball State University Baylor University Bemidji State University Binghamton University, SUNY Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania Boise State University Boston University Bowdoin College Bowling Green State University Bridgewater College Bridgewater State College Brigham Young University Brigham Young University-Idaho Bryn Mawr College Buffalo State College CUNY, City College CUNY, Lehman College California Institute of Technology California University of Pennsylvania California Lutheran University California Poly Pomona California Poly, San Luis Obispo California State University, Chico California State University, Sacramento Calvin College Carleton College Case Western Reserve University Casper College Catholic University of America Chicago State University Christian Brothers University Christopher Newport University Clarion University of Pennsylvania Clark University Colby College Colgate University College of Notre Dame of Maryland College of St. Catherine College of William & Mary Colorado School of Mines Columbia University Connecticut College Cornell University Davidson College Delaware State University Denison University DePaul University Dickinson College Dillard University Dordt College East Carolina University East Central University Eastern Illinois University Elon University Elmhurst College Emporia State University Erskine College Fairmont State University Florida Institute of Technology Florida International University Fort Hays State University Francis Marion University George Washington University Georgian Court College Gettysburg College Goshen College Grand Valley State University Guilford College Haifa University-Campus Oranim Hamilton College Hamline University Harding University Harvard University Harvey Mudd College Haverford College Hillsdale College Hiram College Hofstra University Hope College Howard University Idaho State University Illinois Institute of Technology Illinois State University Indiana University - Purdue University Fort Wayne Indiana University - Purdue University Indianapolis Indiana University of Pennsylvania Indiana University South Bend Jackson State University Jacksonville State University James Madison University Johns Hopkins University Kalamazoo College Kansas State University Kennesaw State University Kent State University Kenyon College King College La Sierra University Lafayette College Lewis University Lone Star College-North Harris Longwood University Loras College Loyola University Chicago Loyola College in Maryland Manhattanville College Marshall University Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Massachusetts Institute of Technology McNeese State University Mercer University Miami University Michigan State University Michigan Technological University Middle State Tennessee University Middlebury College Millersville University Millikin University Minnesota State University Moorhead Misericordia University Mississippi State University Missouri University of Science and Technology Montana State University Morehouse College Morgan State University Morningside College Muhlenberg College Murray State University New Mexico Highlands University North Carolina State University North Carolina A & T State University Northern Michigan University Northwestern State University Northwestern Oklahoma State University Oakland University Oberlin College Oglethorpe University Ohio State University Oklahoma City University Oregon State University Pacific University Pennsylvania State University Pomona College Princeton University Principia College Purdue University-West Lafayette Radford University Randolph College Randolph-Macon College Reed College | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rhode Island College Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Rhode Island College Ripon College Roanoke College Roberts Wesleyan College Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Rutgers University, New Brunswick Saint Cloud State University Saint Joseph's University Saint Mary's College (IN) Saint Michael's College Salisbury University Samford University San Diego State University San Jacinto College Central Campus Seattle Pacific University Seattle University Slippery Rock University Sonoma State University South Carolina State University South Dakota State University Southeast Missouri State University Southeastern Louisiana University Southern Arkansas University Southern Connecticut State University Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Southern Nazarene University Southern Oregon University Southwest Missouri State University Southwest Texas State University Southwestern College Spelman College St. Thomas University, Miami, FL Stanford University State University of West Georgia Stephen F. Austin State University SUNY at Buffalo SUNY at Stony Brook SUNY College at Cortland SUNY College at Geneseo SUNY College at Oswego Syracuse University Tennessee Tech University Texas A & M University Texas A & M University-Commerce Texas A & M University-Kingsville Texas Christian University Texas Southern University Texas Tech University Thomas More College Towson University Trinity Christian College Trinity University Tufts University Tulane University University of Alabama University of Alabama at Birmingham University of Alabama in Huntsville University of Arizona University of Arkansas University of Arkansas Pine Bluff University of California, Berkeley University of California, Davis University of California, Los Angeles University of California, Riverside University of California, San Diego University of California, Santa Cruz University of Central Oklahoma University of Colorado at Boulder University of Connecticut University of Delaware University of Denver University of Evansville University of Florida University of Hartford University of Houston University of Idaho University of Iowa University of Kentucky University of La Verne University of Louisiana at Lafayette University of Louisville University of Maine University of Maryland University of Maryland, Baltimore County University of Massachusetts, Amherst University of Massachusetts, Boston University of Michigan, Dearborn University of Michigan, Flint University of Minnesota, Duluth University of Minnesota, Minneapolis University of Mississippi University of Missouri University of Nebraska at Omaha University of Nebraska-Lincoln University of Nevada, Las Vegas University of Nevada, Reno University of New Mexico University of North Carolina at Asheville University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University of North Carolina at Greensboro University of North Carolina at Wilmington University of North Texas University of Northern Colorado University of Northern Iowa University of Notre Dame University of Oklahoma University of Pennsylvania University of Pittsburgh University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg University of Rochester University of Saint Thomas University of San Diego University of San Francisco University of South Dakota University of Southern California University of Southern Colorado University of Tennessee, Knoxville University of Texas at Austin University of Texas at El Paso University of Texas-Pan American University of Toledo University of Tulsa University of Vermont University of Virginia University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire University of Wisconsin-La Crosse University of Wisconsin-Madison University of Wisconsin-River Falls University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Vanderbilt University Vassar College Virginia Commonwealth University Washburn University of Topeka Wayne State University Weber State University Weitzmann Institute of Science West Chester University West Virginia Wesleyan College Western Carolina University Western Illinois University Western Kentucky University Western Michigan University Westminster College, Fulton, MO Westminster College, New Wilmington, PA Westminster College, Salt Lake City, UT Westmont College Wheaton College Wheeling Jesuit University Whitman College William Jewell College Williams College Winona State University Winston-Salem State University Wright State University Xavier University Xavier University of Louisiana Youngstown State University |
National Laboratories:
National Superconducting Cyclotron Lab
Also, acting on the above statement, the APS, AIP, and AAPT initiated the Physics Teacher Education Coalition (PhysTEC) project in 2001. For more information, please visit the PhysTEC website.
