Education Programs
APS is a leading voice for physics education and supports physics educators at all levels through its programs, publications, and resources.
Programs & Activities
PhysTEC
PhysTEC is an APS led project with AAPT to improve the education of future physics teachers. Institutions are supported by the project to build model teacher preparation programs. Over 250 institutions are members of the national PhysTEC coalition, and the project holds an annual conference.
Committee on Education
The Committee on Education (COE) is comprised of 12 members—3 which are joint appointments with the chair line of the Forum on Education—and has an established subcommittee structure which includes K-12 Education, Undergraduate Education, and Graduate Education subcommittees. COE established an Education Policy working group to prioritize lobbying and advocacy initiatives in education. The committee oversees a number of activities, including:
Physics Education Research (PER) Speakers List
APS has compiled the names, contact information and talk titles of women and minority physicists who are available to give talks in various venues including high schools, physics departments, and other public arenas. These lists are indexed by the talk topic’s field of physics and by state, and they can be searched online.
PER Speakers List
Award for Improving Undergraduate Physics Education
The award seeks to recognize physics departments and /or undergraduate-serving programs in physics that support best practices in education at the undergraduate level. The award is intended to acknowledge commitment to inclusive, high-quality physics education for undergraduate students, and to catalyze departments and programs to make significant improvements.
About Award for Improving Undergraduate Physics Education
Conference on Graduate Education in Physics
This conference addressed the status and future of graduate education in physics. Participants included department chairs and directors of graduate studies from large and small physics departments in the nation, as well as members of the physics community from industry, funding agencies and professional societies. A second conference is in the planning stages.
About Conference on Graduate Education in Physics
Professional Development for New Faculty Members
APS, AAPT, and AAS offer biannual New Faculty Workshops to introduce new physics and astronomy faculty members to research-based teaching, funding opportunities in research and education, and professional development issues.
Professional Development for High School Teachers
For many years, staff members have organized Teachers Days at APS meetings to provide professional development for local physics teachers. The staff is currently reformulating teacher professional development to engage more APS members and reach more teachers.
Education Resources
Physics Research Mentor Training Seminar
Facilitation guide to a seminar to help physics researchers improve their mentoring skills
APS Ethics Case Studies
Series of case studies and discussions on ethical issues that can arise in physics research, intended for use in ethics instruction
SPIN-UP
Report on increasing undergraduate enrollment
Physics of Lasers
Set of hands-on lessons for high school students about lasers
• Gravitational Waves - a classroom poster
• Top 10 Reasons to Study Physics - a classroom poster
• 7 Myths About High School Physics - a brochure to encourage students to take physics
