Curriculum change

For specific notes on physics curriculum, please see How physics educators shape the content of their curriculum.

In Science Curriculum Reform in the United States, Rodger W. Bybee summarizes some differences between science curriculum reforms in the 1950s and 60s, and the 1990s. [1]

Change can be lead by equipment

Nanoscale science, spectroscopy, electronics, and bio-technology are examples of modern fields influencing preparatory curriculum with fancy equipment. Secondary schools are buying electrophoresis equipment, computer-based spectroscopes, semiconductors, and other lab equipment that is not suited to teaching content from before these fields' existence. High-achieving students are going to college from school districts with impressive research science budgets, partly focused on regional and national science and engineering student competitions. Consider this workshop description from AAPT's winter 2011 meeting:

Hands-On Activities Exploring Nanoscale Science Investigations in Pre-High School Classrooms

Author: Kandiah Manivannan, Dept. of Physics, Astronomy, and Materials Science, Missouri State University

Co-Author(s): Anjali Manivannan, Bryan E Breyfogle, Kartik C Ghosh

Abstract: The fast-growing interdisciplinary field of nanoscience and nanotechnology is still in its infancy, and science education research findings and curricular developments are still emerging. One nanometer is about one hundred thousand times smaller than the diameter of human hair, and at the nano-level we begin to see the intimate connections among the STEM disciplines. Appropriately integrating hands-on nanoscience activities into school classrooms is expected to have outcomes such as supporting inquiry-based teaching and learning, increased interest and engagement in learning science, and enhanced understanding of core science and nanoscale STEM concepts and applications. We present some inquiry-based hands-on activities using paper models and plastic building blocks, and discuss other activities suitable for pre-high school students. We will assemble models to simulate some of the unique properties of nanoparticles. Finally, we will present preliminary results of pre- and post-Nano Concept Inventory assessments given to pre-service teachers.

The interdisciplinary force for curriculum change

Interdisciplinary forces, the needs of other fields for expertise in physics, or the interchange of ideas between disciplines, moves the curriculum offered to students away from "pure physics." Consider this workshop description from AAPT's winter 2011 meeting:

Continuum Mechanics: A Return to the Curriculum:

Author:Invited - Michael Dennin, University of California, Irvine

Abstract:The graduate physics curriculum is pretty much the same everywhere, and has been that way since the 1950s. The center pieces are courses in classical mechanics, electromagnetism, quantum mechanics, and statistical physics. Though successful in training academic physicists, it is not necessarily the ideal curriculum for the cross-disciplinary nature of many current research areas or non-academic career paths. I will discuss an interdisciplinary graduate program at University of California, Irvine that is based on three main elements: a summer experience, special mathematics training, and changes to the traditional core courses. Especially interesting is the replacement of traditional classical mechanics with a course in continuum mechanics. I will argue that continuum mechanics serves multiple functions in the graduate curriculum and is ideal for cross-disciplinary work.