BYU Program Generates Physics Teachers

Jun 18, 02:17 PM

Current Headlines: By Joe Bauman Deseret Morning News

In January 2006, the Association of American Universities issued a stark warning: "Serious problems in our education system and a weakening federal commitment to research in the physical sciences and engineering are eroding the nation's innovative edge, with increasingly evident and alarming results."

The AAU's "National Defense Education and Innovation Initiative" report added that the challenge is not only that of government, and "research universities and higher education have key roles to play."

Duane Merrell -- an assistant teaching professor in physics and astronomy at Brigham Young University, Provo -- is doing more than almost anyone else to turn that trend around. Last year his program to educate high school physical science teachers graduated an astonishing 5 percent of the country's new teachers in the field.

It's not that the number was enormous, at 16 graduates. But that was more than any other university produced, and more than most states, according to the June 1 issue of Science Magazine.

According to the Sloan Career Cornerstone Center, physics graduates earn the highest average salary compared to all undergraduate majors. Starting salaries for physics bachelors, class of 2003 and 2004, was around $33,000, the center adds.

Most such graduates go into the private sector, and nearly 20 percent go into federal government agencies.

But the Provo university recognized the importance of well- grounded science teachers, and switched a position focusing on that from the College of Education to the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences. The university hired Merrell, who had taught physics for 20 years at Emery High School in Castle Dale, Emery County, as a master teacher model.

High school physics teachers graduating from BYU jumped from one or two per year to the present, generally around 12 to 17.

"I think BYU is showing great foresight in caring about the public education system," said Merrell. He was reached in Castle Dale over the weekend, where he had been heading a science teachers workshop. The event included an astronomy expedition to a nearby overlook with superb star-viewing.

"And I think the students seem to be responding," he added, "because there's good students, who could choose any degree they want, who are choosing education."

A young woman quoted in Science "just wanted to teach" rather than do research, he noted. Dedicated students and "good support from BYU" help the program succeed, Merrell said.

Although the program is housed in the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, it keeps close connections with the College of Education. "I'm a bridge between the two colleges. We use both colleges, obviously," he said.

Besides receiving training in science, the students earn teaching licenses.

Asked if there's a need for physics teachers in high schools, Merrell said statistics showed that special education teachers are most in demand. "English as a second language (teachers) was number two, physics was number three.

"So there's a huge demand for physics teachers in the nation."

Although physics graduates generally make more money in private industry than in teaching, at BYU "there are a lot of kids that just understand the need for good teachers, and the university supports that," he said.

As Science Magazine concluded in one of its two articles mentioning the BYU program and others in the country, Merrell's success producing high school science teachers "suggests he's doing something right."

E-mail: bau@desnews.com

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