Over the past 15 years, funding from the Federal Eisenhower Educational
Act, NSF, and the Department of Physics have supported many summer high
school physics and physical science teacher programs at the University of
Virginia. After many discussions with teachers, we have concluded that teachers
desire and need more physics content, problem solving, hands-on laboratory
experiences, and pedagogical methods of teaching physics. In addition to
courses in education, most teachers’ undergraduate training generally includes
courses in chemistry, biology, earth science, and mathematics, but very
little physics. We also learned that less than one-third of high school
physics teachers have an undergraduate degree in physics.
The content of the Masters of Arts in Physics Education program arose
out of a series of discussions with high school physics teachers and Department
of Physics faculty. It is primarily for teachers who presently (or desire
to) teach physical science or physics in grades 6-12, but do not have an
undergraduate degree in physics or have sufficient undergraduate training
in physics. The University of Virginia Department of Physics and School of
Continuing and Professional Studies first announced and graduated the first
four students in the Master of Arts in Physics Education program in May 2000.
A total of 21 have now graduated. Presently, there are over 30 teachers enrolled
in the program. Stipends and housing are normally available to support teachers
during the 4 week summer at UVa.