Force and Motion: Pedagogical Content Knowledge for Teaching Physics - Boston University

This physics course is designed to expose teachers of introductory physics, from novice to experienced, to effective tools for teaching physics at the high school level. Learn (or re-learn) basic concepts, including Newton’s laws, motion, momentum, and energy. Become a more competent and engaging teacher by familiarizing yourself with the historical development of these concepts, and with the physics education research literature about ways to teach the concepts effectively. Learn to employ research-based methods to help your students succeed in physics. It covers the following content: Kinematics Projectile motion Forces and Newton’s laws Impulse and work Conservation of energy Readings of, and discussion about, the conceptual history of physics and relevant education research In your final projects, you will develop a research-based lesson plan that you can use in your own teaching.

What you'll learn

• Fluency with physics concepts appropriate for high school teaching
• Enhanced pedagogical content knowledge, to make you a more effective teacher
• Some engineering experience, in designing and building an experiment
• Knowledge of research-based methods and of the education research literature, to help your students learn physics