School staff urged to change physics teaching style

School staff must adjust the way in which they teach physics if the popularity of the subject is to increase, it will be argued today (March 24th).

Delivering his inaugural lecture, Professor Derek Raine of the University of Leicester Department of Physics and Astronomy will argue that the style of physics teaching will need to change in schools, colleges and universities.

Speaking this afternoon, he will argue that those in physics teaching jobs need to move away from traditional methods of teaching and reflect the "continual and radical developments" being made in the subject in their lessons.

Professor Raine will suggest that physics classes currently often focus on "a linear progression through history".

"This could be an important reason why the subject's appeal has been in decline and therefore why student numbers have remained unchanging at a higher level," he will state.

Meanwhile, 70 per cent of students who attended this year's Particle Physics Masterclasses at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire said the activities at the event have inspired them to consider a career in science.




Published On 24/03/2009