Press release

Crisis in physics linked to lack of highly qualified teachers

Monday 21st November 2005

The steep decline in the numbers of students taking A-level physics can be directly linked to the shortage of expert teachers and decreasing opportunity to study the subject, according to the results of a national survey published today (21 November) by the Centre for Education and Employment Research at the University of Buckingham.

The survey of 432 schools and colleges, a representative 10% sample of the total in England and Wales, shows that teachers' qualification in physics is the most important factor in schools, after pupil ability, in explaining pupil performance in both GCSE and A-level physics.

Professor Alan Smithers and Dr Pamela Robinson, who conducted the survey, point out that although overall A-level entries in all subjects have risen by 14.6 per cent since 1990, the number of physics entries has fallen by 38.0 per cent (from 45,334 to 28,119). Nearly ten per cent (9.6%) of maintained schools with sixth forms now do not offer A-level physics, and 39.5% had in 2005 five entries or fewer. Over the same period, the intake of new physics teachers has dropped from about a third of the science total to just 12.8%.

A number of schools, especially those without sixth forms, do not now recognise physics as a subject. As the head of science in one said, "All science staff should teach all science subjects to GCSE . Those that don't are lazy and have not developed professionally as they should have done after the introduction of the national curriculum. Separate sciences are a totally artificial convenience. Science is one subject."

The report found that half the teachers of physics had not studied physics to any level at university. The age profile of teachers qualified in physics is skewed with almost double (31.1%) aged over 50 as 30 and under (16.6%). Increasing numbers of teachers of physics are qualified in biology, with more aged 21 to 30 holding a degree in biology than in physics. The report finds that "the population of physics teachers qualified in physics is not renewing itself".

Smithers and Robinson conclude: "Physics in schools and colleges is at risk through redefinition and lack of teachers with expertise in the subject. Many of those with degrees in physics came through the education system when physics was more clearly identifiable as a subject, and they will be retiring soon. There is already a severe shortage. If physics is to survive in schools, both as essential education and a platform for higher level study and research, there is a need for urgent action."

Teachers with university-level qualifications in physics were unevenly spread across the schools and colleges, the survey found. In nearly a quarter (23.5%) of 11-16 schools none of the teachers had university experience in physics. Nearly two-thirds of teachers of physics in independent schools with sixth forms held at least a joint honours degree in the subject, compared with less than two-fifths in comprehensive schools with sixth forms.

The great majority of physics lecturers in sixth form and FE colleges are qualified in the subject, but the sector is struggling to recruit A-level physics students. A physics lecturer in an FE college said, "There is a general feeling that physics at GCSE has been absorbed into double award science and is delivered by non-physicists in the local schools. As a result more able scientists are being influenced to study biology and chemistry rather than physics." The programme co-ordinator in a sixth-form college made a similar point, "Student perception of physics as a difficult subject is the biggest issue. They often come to our college having received little tuition at GCSE level."

The authors also carried out an analysis of the social backgrounds of pupils and found that "pupils from low-income homes tend to be concentrated in those schools least likely to offer GCSE physics and with the least well-qualified teachers".

The report estimates that the numbers trained as teachers of physics would have to be increased from 450 to 750 per year to cope with retirements of existing staff and enable all schools to have at least one teacher qualified in the subject within five years.

Currently, ten per cent of teachers with degrees in physics do not teach the subject in their schools, but usually maths or computing instead. A quarter of teacher trainees with degrees in physics are training to teach maths.

Smithers and Robinson suggest that we may be in danger of sleepwalking into the loss of one of the great branches of knowledge from our schools, and raise nine issues for the science community to consider.

Notes

Population frames for maintained and independent schools, and sixth form and further education colleges, in England and Wales were constructed from published sources. This led to the identification of 4,318 institutions. A questionnaire designed to be completed by heads of department to elicit information on science courses, teacher details, pupil numbers, examination results, and views on the recruitment, training and deployment of teachers, was sent in late February 2005 via headteachers/principals. From the 974 returns a sample of 432 institutions was drawn matching the population on type of institution, region, size, type, funding category, age range, gender mix and specialism and other characteristics. This structured sample was the source of a 10 per cent sample of physics teachers.
The research was funded by the Gatsby Charitable Foundation and advised by a committee consisting of representatives of The Royal Society, the Institute of Physics, the Association for Science Education and the Royal Academy of Engineering.
The report is available on the Centre for Education and Employment Research's website from 09:00 Monday 21 November: www.buckingham.ac.uk/education/research/ceer/publications.html . Copies of the report may be obtained free of charge from:

Centre for Education and Employment Research
University of Buckingham
Buckingham
MK18 1EG

Contacts

Professor Alan Smithers, Centre for Education and Employment Research, University of Buckingham, +44 (0)1280 820270 (direct line) 07974 765864 (mobile).

Dr Pamela Robinson, Centre for Education and Employment Research, University of Buckingham, +44 (0)1280 820353 (direct line) 07974 725006 (mobile).

Anne Matsuoka ( PR Officer)
Tel: +44 (0)1280 820338
Fax:: +44 (0)1280 820311
Mobile: 07850 645103
Email: anne.matsuoka@buckingham.ac.uk