Improving Physics Education: Wisdom From 1969 That is Still Relevant

In “High School and College Physics: Can We Match Impedances?” (Iowa Science Teachers Journal: Vol. 6 : No. 3 , Article 5), Dr. Herbert Priestley (Knox College) wrote:

Since the body of knowledge comprising physics continues to grow, there is constant concern among writers of high school textbooks about being up to date and among high school teachers in trying to insure that physics students will not enter college with a “knowledge gap.” This tends to produce an unmanageable pace in an attempt to give complete coverage in one year and leads to a potentially dangerous “name dropping” acquaintance with a multitude of ideas in physics but only a limited understanding of the principles which undergird physics. These questions of pace and coverage are of fundamental importance and concern. It is suggested that the high school teacher severely restrict the course coverage but insure that what is taught is l earned with full understanding by the student.

The college and university teacher of physics should not tell the high school teacher specifically what he should teach. It is the former’s job to build on what the student brings to college. What he should bring is not so much detailed knowledge but rather certain attitudes and insights, including: an understanding of basic principles, the ability to reason quantitatively, the ability to analyze problems and produce logical solutions, the ability to read with understanding and to be able to use good English, an inquiring attitude, an eagerness to learn, and an awareness of the delicate interplay of theory and experiment in the development of physics.

Priestley, Herbert (1969) “High School and College Physics – Can We Match Impedances?,” Iowa Science
Teachers Journal: Vol. 6 : No. 3 , Article 5. Available at: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/istj/vol6/iss3/5

Amen.

And the last paragraph is advice for teachers, too! Understand basic principles, learn logic, practice good grammar, and develop “an inquiring attitude” and “an eagerness to learn.” You cannot teach what you don’t know. And you cannot teach when you cannot communicate.