PhysTEC
University of Arkansas

Arkansas site leader Gay Stewart and future teachers discuss the design of an assessment.

PhysTEC Project Contact
University of Arkansas

Gay Stewart
Department of Physics
University of Arkansas
Fayetteville, AR 72701
Tel: 479-575-2408
Fax: 479-575-4580

University of Arkansas'
PhysTEC Website

Demographics at other PhysTEC Sites

Ball State University
Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
Cornell University
Florida International University
Seattle Pacific University
Towson University
University of Arizona
University of Arkansas
University of Colorado at Boulder
University of Minnesota
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Western Michigan University

University of Arkansas Project Report 2009

Part IV: Project Demographics

PhysTEC Definitions

PhysTEC Graduates
Grade Band Baseline Project
Yr 1
1998-
1999
Yr 2
1999-
2000
Yr 3
2000-
2001
Yr 1
2001-
2002
Yr 2
2002-
2003
Yr 3
2003-
2004
Yr 4
2004-
2005
Yr 5
2005-
2006
Yr 6
2006-
2007
Yr 7
2007-
2008
Yr 8
2008-
2009
7-12 0 1 0 1 3 3 3 8 6 6 6

(7-12 graduates are certified to teach physics.)

  • We keep in contact with all of our physics graduates, at the bachelors or MA level. Even once they are done with their three years of mentoring, they keep in touch.
  • For the first few years of the project the Master of Arts in Teaching at the University of Arkansas, prerequisites were such that students deciding late on a career in teaching could not enter the program without an extra year in school, so they pursued nontraditional licensure. Starting in the 2005-2006 year, this was no just longer the case. The prerequisite set of classes was replaced with several demonstrations by portfolio, and just two classes, an observation course, and teaching in inclusive settings. The inclusive settings course can be taken the summer students enter the MAT, and 40 hours of LA experience in UPI or UPII counts towards the 60 required hours of observation. The remaining 20 hours can take place at the student’s convenience.
  • * We only count those pre-high school teachers who have expressed a desire to teach science, and have included it in their action research or in their plans for eventual National Board Certification.
PhysTEC Mentors and Mentees
Project Year   Project
Yr 1
1998-
1999
Yr 2
1999-
2000
Yr 3
2000-
2001
Yr 1
2001-
2002
Yr 2
2002-
2003
Yr 3
2003-
2004
Yr 4
2004-
2005
Yr 5
2005-
2006
Yr 6
2006-
2007
Yr 7
2007-
2008
Yr 8
2008-
2009
PhysTEC Mentors (Current & Prior TIRs) 0 0 0 1 1 2 3 3 3 3 4
Mentored PhysTEC Teachers       1 4 6 6 15 17 24 26
Mentored Non-PhysTEC Teachers 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 1 1 0 0

* While mentoring of preservice and inservice high school teachers remained essentially the same as initially envisioned by the project, and as described briefly in the TIR section, the mentoring of elementary teachers continued to blossom as a strong point in the local program, greatly increasing the number of teachers being effectively mentored. For now, please find an example of what elementary mentoring looks like, and why these numbers seem so large here.

Enrollment-- PhysTEC Students
Course Type Enrollment Project
Yr 1
1998-
1999
Yr 2
1999-
2000
Yr 3
2000-
2001
Yr 1
2001-
2002
Yr 2
2002-
2003
Yr 3
2003-
2004
Yr 3
2004-
2005
Yr 5
2005-
2006
Yr 6
2006-
2007
Yr 7
2007-
2008
Yr 8
2008-
2009
Physics for Elementary Teachers (begun SP05)             14 13 28 56 60
  • The number of students in Physics for Elementary Teachers  rose substantially in 2007-2008, when this course became required.