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Towards a High Quality High School Workforce: A Longitudinal, Demographic Analysis of U.S. Public School Physics Teachers

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Title: Towards a High Quality High School Workforce: A Longitudinal, Demographic Analysis of U.S. Public School Physics Teachers
Language: English
Authors: Rushton, Gregory T., Rosengrant, David, Dewar, Andrew, Shah, Lisa, Ray, Herman E., Sheppard, Keith, Watanabe, Lynn
Source: Physical Review Physics Education Research. Jul-Dec 2017 13(2):020122.
Availability: American Physical Society. One Physics Ellipse 4th Floor, College Park, MD 20740-3844. Tel: 301-209-3200; Fax: 301-209-0865; e-mail: assocpub@aps.org; Web site: http://prst-per.aps.org
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 11
Publication Date: 2017
Sponsoring Agency: National Science Foundation (NSF)
Contract Number: DUE1035451
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education
Descriptors: Public School Teachers, Science Teachers, Physics, Secondary School Teachers, High Schools, Longitudinal Studies, Teacher Characteristics, Trend Analysis, Teacher Effectiveness, Diversity (Faculty), Beginning Teachers, Experienced Teachers, Teacher Certification, Academic Degrees, Race, Sex, Teacher Placement, National Surveys, Elementary Secondary Education, STEM Education
Assessment and Survey Identifiers: Schools and Staffing Survey (NCES)
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.13.020122
ISSN: 2469-9896
Abstract: Efforts to improve the number and quality of the high school physics teaching workforce have taken several forms, including those sponsored by professional organizations. Using a series of large-scale teacher demographic data sets from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), this study sought to investigate trends in teacher quality at the national level in the two and a half decades between 1987 and 2012. Specifically, we investigated (i) details about the degree backgrounds, main teaching assignments, and experience levels of those assigned to teach physics; (ii) whether the proportion of those with certifications in physics as a fraction of the entire physics teaching workforce had changed; and (iii) if workforce diversity (with respect to race and gender) had changed over time. Our data indicate that trends in these domains have generally been positive, but still fall short of having a highly qualified physics teacher in each classroom. Additionally, the population of physics teachers has more novices and fewer veterans than it did 10 years ago, although veteran physics teachers are not as rare as those in other branches of high school STEM fields. We also analyzed trends in physics teacher race and gender diversity and found them to lag behind other STEM and non-STEM teacher communities. High school physics is still mostly taught by white males with backgrounds from outside of physics. Implications for future policy decisions at the local and national levels are discussed, including attending to the specific needs of degreeholding and non-degree-holding physics teachers separately and localizing teacher recruitment and preparation efforts in regional centers.
Abstractor: As Provided
Number of References: 38
Entry Date: 2017
Accession Number: EJ1160502
Database: ERIC
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  Data: American Physical Society. One Physics Ellipse 4th Floor, College Park, MD 20740-3844. Tel: 301-209-3200; Fax: 301-209-0865; e-mail: assocpub@aps.org; Web site: http://prst-per.aps.org
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  Data: Efforts to improve the number and quality of the high school physics teaching workforce have taken several forms, including those sponsored by professional organizations. Using a series of large-scale teacher demographic data sets from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), this study sought to investigate trends in teacher quality at the national level in the two and a half decades between 1987 and 2012. Specifically, we investigated (i) details about the degree backgrounds, main teaching assignments, and experience levels of those assigned to teach physics; (ii) whether the proportion of those with certifications in physics as a fraction of the entire physics teaching workforce had changed; and (iii) if workforce diversity (with respect to race and gender) had changed over time. Our data indicate that trends in these domains have generally been positive, but still fall short of having a highly qualified physics teacher in each classroom. Additionally, the population of physics teachers has more novices and fewer veterans than it did 10 years ago, although veteran physics teachers are not as rare as those in other branches of high school STEM fields. We also analyzed trends in physics teacher race and gender diversity and found them to lag behind other STEM and non-STEM teacher communities. High school physics is still mostly taught by white males with backgrounds from outside of physics. Implications for future policy decisions at the local and national levels are discussed, including attending to the specific needs of degreeholding and non-degree-holding physics teachers separately and localizing teacher recruitment and preparation efforts in regional centers.
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        Value: 10.1103/PhysRevPhysEducRes.13.020122
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