There are many factors influencing students' academic performance in physics such as students' background, parental influence, poor laboratory equipment etc. Study on teachers' influence on students' academic performance is good, but how do we control for the influence of other factors? Some people argued that some result from the teachers' influence may not be reliable since other factors are simultaneously working on students.
You have no control of other factors. You must compensate as best you can. A physics teacher, as a teacher in any other subject, must know and understand what is being taught. You cannot explain what you do not understand. Be well prepared and try to put a gleam in their eyes. A gleam will compensate for many outside factors.
Try to follow, but as a first information, I´ll tell the situation from my own students time. One of the most irritating situations was the waiting for the yearly money help from the german forschungsgemeinschaft, which enabled us to continue our work.
You have no control of other factors. You must compensate as best you can. A physics teacher, as a teacher in any other subject, must know and understand what is being taught. You cannot explain what you do not understand. Be well prepared and try to put a gleam in their eyes. A gleam will compensate for many outside factors.
Dear Joseph,
I totally agree with your remark to other factors like parental factors, bad basic training in high school and the the missing of the own ability to understand. How could someone control such influences a posteriori.
But what I really like is your looking for "gleams" in the eyes as a shaping influence. That´s exactly what I experienced in a lecture about nuclear physics. We felt the enthusiasm of our lecturer and were happy to understand his lesson. And the consequences were our entrance in his researching group and cooperation for years.
Thanks Hanno
Always remember, the gleam in your eye puts the gleam in their eyes.
Dear All,
Do agree, with Joseph `gleam in the eyes of lecturer'. What about the students who were poorly taught ( by even other subject teacher !!!!) and by poorly understood concept of Physics ( during their secondary Education)?Teachers, in school, are more conscious and fearful to introduce Physics during the beginning of academic year-the best time for learner. Maximum teachers are starting to teach Biology ( module first) , Chemistry and than Phys-by that time students are drained ( end of academic year). Many good schools are employing specialised teachers and they are entrusted to teach Physics from Year 7. If you are lucky University teacher than you may find,in your class, such a well taught student.
As I have been teaching Physics since 1984, I may conclude that bottom line, Non specialised teachers in Physics ( even they are messing up with symbols), students with lack of sound and require knowledge of Maths , lack of early and enough exposer to Physics are/should be important factors to be taken care.
the manner and ways you present your lessons matters alot and can help you reduced the adverse effects of other variables that affect students achievement in physics.
Not sure how to control other factor for the purpose of statistical analysis, as randomized trials seem to not be feasible. Clinic studies are generally based on randomized control trials to infer robust results.
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