A Crisis in Physics Education: Games to the Rescue!

An education in Physics develops both strong cognitive and practical skills. These are well-matched to the needs of employers, from engineering to banking. Physics provides the foundation for all engineering and scientific disciplines including computing technologies, aerospace, communication, and also biosciences and medicine. In academe, Physics addresses fundamental questions about the universe, the nature of reality, and of the complex socio-economic systems comprising our daily lives. Yet today, there are emerging concerns about Physics education: Secondary school interest in Physics is falling, as is the number of Physics school teachers. There is clearly a crisis in physics education; recent research has identified principal factors. Starting from a review of these factors, and from recommendations of professional bodies, this paper proposes a novel solution – the use of Computer Games to teach physics to school children, to university undergraduates and to teacher-trainees.

Conceptualizing and Researching the Professionalization of Religious Education Teachers: Historical and International Perspectives

Current discussions on Religious Education (RE), both in Germany and England, focus on the quality of teaching and the professionality of teachers, but neglect the historical and institutional process of professionalization upon which conceptions of teaching quality and teacher professionality hinge. This article seeks to provide definitional clarity by differentiating between individual and collective professionalization; exploring teacher professionalization in general and in the special case of RE; and operationalizing the concept of RE teacher professionalization for the purposes of planned historical and international comparative research. A three-fold conceptualization of professionalization is proposed, consisting of the following inter-related levels: (1) initial and continuing professional development; (2) professional self-organization and professional politics; and (3) professional knowledge. The breadth, complexity and significance of the historical and institutional processes associated with the professionalization of RE teachers at each of these levels is described and discussed. It is argued that further historical and international comparative research on these lines would contribute a broader and deeper understanding of the presuppositions of RE teacher professionality beyond current debates.