Teacher Recruitment and Retention in Physics and Chemistry Education
Anna Holbrook
Course Leader for Physics on
the Secondary PGCE at Bath
Spa
Jan 2015 - present
Research Update – my first project
Timeline of project:
Jan:
Approached by Anne Parfitt, research fellow, in DiTE about
an ‘exploratory’ project she had in mind
March
: Successful application made for Seed funding
Mid April
: Ethics form is about submitted
End of April
: Currently working on second draft of ethics form
and attend IOP Conference
Dec 2018
: Project end
So, you’re good at Physics but can
you teach it?
Rationale
•
Problem
: Teacher recruitment / retention in physics and chemistry
•
Solutions
: IOP/RSC scholarships and SKE courses
•
Question:
What is it about these two routes that is making a
difference in the early careers of novice teachers?
•
Hoping to learn:
What the elements are, that can make a
difference,
if any
.
•
What we hope to do with our findings:
a)
Feed into a larger scale project
b) May enable school leaders and policymakers to develop
potential
strategies
that could contribute to resolving the current deficits in
recruitment and retention.
Goals – an exploratory project
1.
We want to find out more about
PEC
’s across the country and
IOP
scholarships
– this will enable us to ask the right questions to
formulate our next investigation
2. What do our research participants report about the different
capabilities of the two cohorts?
3. What are
appropriate measures by which to compare
the two
cohorts?
Our Approach - Qualitative
Interviews
1.
Our own graduates (NQTs/ RQTs)
2.
School science department
leaders/coordinators
3.
Academic tutors leading PGCE science
programmes / PEC in other universities
4.
Co-ordinators for ITE in national organisations
such as the Institute for Physics (IOP) and Royal
Society for Chemistry (RSC).
Subject Knowledge Enhancement
Physics Enhancement Course
What do I know?
What do I know?
First started in
2003
(I believe)
Currently
28
providers offer either f2f, blended, online or a combo of
these.
10 providers offer f2f
The courses can be between
8
and
28 weeks
long.
There is a bursary for anything above a 3
rd
(but the ske provider does
get the funding)
You need a degree in a closely related subject or a degree in any
subject but have physics A level/professional experience in physics, a
degree in physics but its been a while.
What I don’t know: How many people each year successfully complete
a PEC?
How many courses actually ran this year?
What else don’t I know?
Validation / accreditation / QA of the PEC courses? (RSC
accredit chem ske)
Are the f2f courses comparable across the country?
Are some preparing students better than others? If so
how, why, what can we learn from this?
What are the conditions for passing these courses?
What was the background of those completing the PEC?
(TA, career changer, biologist after a bigger bursary?!)
Are PEC students succeeding in getting jobs as quickly as
others?
IOP scholarships
•
Not done much digging here yet.
•
I didn’t know that you could get an IOP
scholarship if you have come through the PEC
route…..how often has this happened?
What are your experiences?
What are, if any, the patterns / trends in strengths and
weaknesses between the two routes that may have
emerged over the years? Eg I find that generally IOP
scholars have a strength in ……..but a weakness in……….
When a trainee needs extra support are they more often
from a particular route? If so what route and what may the
reasons have been?
When you have to offer extra support to a struggling
trainee, what ‘type’ of support is needed most often? Eg
subject knowledge, actual delivery of lesson, lesson
planning, pedegogy, behaviour management
Thank you!
a.holbrook@bathspa.ac.uk
Anna Holbrook, a Course Leader for Physics on the Secondary PGCE at Bath Spa University, is conducting research on teacher recruitment and retention in physics and chemistry education. The project aims to understand the impact of IOP/RSC scholarships and SKE courses on novice teachers' early careers. Through qualitative interviews and an exploratory approach, the project seeks to identify strategies for resolving deficits in recruitment and retention.
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Anna Holbrook Course Leader for Physics on the Secondary PGCE at Bath Spa Jan 2015 - present @bathspa_ife
Research Update my first project Timeline of project: Jan: Approached by Anne Parfitt, research fellow, in DiTE about an exploratory project she had in mind March: Successful application made for Seed funding Mid April: Ethics form is about submitted End of April: Currently working on second draft of ethics form and attend IOP Conference Dec 2018: Project end @bathspa_ife
So, youre good at Physics but can you teach it? @bathspa_ife
Rationale Problem: Teacher recruitment / retention in physics and chemistry Solutions: IOP/RSC scholarships and SKE courses Question: What is it about these two routes that is making a difference in the early careers of novice teachers? Hoping to learn: What the elements are, that can make a difference, if any. What we hope to do with our findings: a) Feed into a larger scale project b) May enable school leaders and policymakers to develop potential strategies that could contribute to resolving the current deficits in recruitment and retention. @bathspa_ife
Goals an exploratory project 1. We want to find out more about PEC s across the country and IOP scholarships this will enable us to ask the right questions to formulate our next investigation 2. What do our research participants report about the different capabilities of the two cohorts? 3. What are appropriate measures by which to compare the two cohorts? @bathspa_ife
Our Approach - Qualitative Interviews 1. Our own graduates (NQTs/ RQTs) 2. School science department leaders/coordinators 3. Academic tutors leading PGCE science programmes / PEC in other universities 4. Co-ordinators for ITE in national organisations such as the Institute for Physics (IOP) and Royal Society for Chemistry (RSC). @bathspa_ife
Subject Knowledge Enhancement Physics Enhancement Course What do I know? @bathspa_ife
What do I know? First started in 2003 (I believe) Currently 28 providers offer either f2f, blended, online or a combo of these. 10 providers offer f2f The courses can be between 8 and 28 weeks long. There is a bursary for anything above a 3rd (but the ske provider does get the funding) You need a degree in a closely related subject or a degree in any subject but have physics A level/professional experience in physics, a degree in physics but its been a while. What I don t know: How many people each year successfully complete a PEC? How many courses actually ran this year? @bathspa_ife
What else dont I know? Validation / accreditation / QA of the PEC courses? (RSC accredit chem ske) Are the f2f courses comparable across the country? Are some preparing students better than others? If so how, why, what can we learn from this? What are the conditions for passing these courses? What was the background of those completing the PEC? (TA, career changer, biologist after a bigger bursary?!) Are PEC students succeeding in getting jobs as quickly as others? @bathspa_ife
IOP scholarships Not done much digging here yet. I didn t know that you could get an IOP scholarship if you have come through the PEC route ..how often has this happened? @bathspa_ife
What are your experiences? What are, if any, the patterns / trends in strengths and weaknesses between the two routes that may have emerged over the years? Eg I find that generally IOP scholars have a strength in ..but a weakness in . When a trainee needs extra support are they more often from a particular route? If so what route and what may the reasons have been? When you have to offer extra support to a struggling trainee, what type of support is needed most often? Eg subject knowledge, actual delivery of lesson, lesson planning, pedegogy, behaviour management @bathspa_ife
Thank you! a.holbrook@bathspa.ac.uk @bathspa_ife
