Physics Teachers Collaborate to Cultivate Student-Centered Teaching

Physics teaching in Israel is in crisis due to a decline in the number of teachers and low demand for the subject by students. It is a common phenomenon in Israel that Physics classes are very small, targeting only the most talented students in the school. Physics is a particularly challenging subject, which demands high quality teaching, and special attention to the individual learning progress of each student. In many instances it becomes too difficult for the teacher and the school to make these special efforts.

The Weizmann Institute, Israel’s leading Science Research Institute, has been playing a central role in the professional development of Physics teachers in Israel. For the past fifteen years the Weizmann Institute has been operating the National Center of Physics Teachers, which conducts professional development seminars, learning communities, and workshops for Physics teachers. They are planning to embark on an initiative to attract more students to study physics by cultivating high quality and student-centered teaching.

The initiative is comprised of three elements: training a select cadre of expert Physics teachers to become Instructional Coaches for Professional Development; upgrading the existing website of the National Center to include teaching resources, learning materials and virtual forums of teachers; and pilot-testing the operation of various types of Physics teacher communities of practice including six local learning groups.It is hoped that after three years of activity, the participating teachers will embrace a more inclusive attitude towards their students and adopt more appealing and creative teaching methods which will attract and retain greater numbers of physics students. Moreover, the initiative will demonstrate successful operating models for teachers’ communities of practice; and cultivate a cadre of Instructional Coaches to nurture those learning groups.

* The text  above shows the grant as approved by the Foundation’s Board of Directors / Grant 8