1. Stimulating Physics
Support
The experience and evolution
of a specialist mentoring
programme for early career
physics teachers
9th September 2013
David Cameron & Eliza Selley

3. The Challenge
• Lack of specialist physics teachers
• Low recruitment and retention of specialist physics
teachers

4. Our Solution
• Personalised support from an expert professional
practitioner
• Sustained support (training and first two years’ practice)

13. Our Mentoring Background
Physics Enhancement Project
(PEP) 2004-2007
• To get those with no
formal/recent physics
qualifications in to teaching
physics
Science Additional Specialism
Programme (SASP) 2007-2009
• To give science teachers the
ability to teach
Physics/Chemistry
Light-touch mentoring
to 560 new physics
teachers

14. The External Mentor
2012 Gatsby report concluded that an
external mentor who is not involved in
assessment can improve a teacher’s:
• Subject Knowledge
• Pedagogy
• Emotional Wellbeing
• Career Prospects

15. Principles of Mentoring
• Conducted over an extended period
• Drawing on experts with specialist knowledge
• Engaging professionals sufficiently to deepen their
knowledge and develop their skills
• Willing to challenge prevailing discourses and
misconceptions
• Facilitate peer networking between professionals
• With the support of managers, but without their direct
involvement
• Encouraging constant reflection and development
• With an unwavering focus on the underlying purpose of
the professional’s activity

16. Stimulating Physics Support (SPS)
Project Aims:
• Improve the professional profile and practice of early
career physics teachers, towards that of an informed
reflective practitioner actively contributing to the
physics community
• Improve the retention rate of early career physics
teachers in the teaching profession through suitable
support strategies and formative needs analysis

17. The SPS Network

18. Teacher Training Centre Visits

19. Mentor Activity
The SPS Mentor’s Role:
• Setting targets for professional development
• Answering questions about physics teaching
• Sign-posting teaching resources
• Running termly get-togethers with a physics
teaching theme

20. Teacher Issues & SPS Mentor Support
• “Teacher A’s target was to produce a maths for
physics booklet – she has tested the first draft on a
cohort of students already and passed it to me for
comments.”
• “I had a good discussion regarding curriculum
development across the key stages with Teacher B”
• “Teacher C helped me organise a “Physics of
Christmas” event at his school”

21. “Helen has been very supportive
already during my training and I
know I would not be able to teach A
level physics as an NQT without
her!”
Teacher, West Midlands

22. 188 teachers contacted in December 2012
Contact
• 92% had phone/email/face-to-face contact since registered
• 10% had ten or more exchanges
Events
• 42% were invited to and attended an event
• 49% were invited but didn’t attend because
– The time slot was inappropriate for personal
reasons
– They didn’t have time
– Their planning/marking was a priority
– The distance was too great
Independent Evaluation

23. SPS Mentor
• 64% agreed their mentor had focussed on physics teaching
• 56% agreed their mentor complemented their other
training/support
• 65% were positive about their mentor’s skills
• 64% believed their mentor was supportive
• But 15% disagreed that their mentor had not been
judgemental
• 77% agreed they had received “appropriate and valued
support”
Independent Evaluation

24. Project Issues & Modifications
Issues
• Participant Distribution

25. Project Issues & Modifications

26. Project Issues & Modifications
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Number of
participants
SPS Mentor
2013-14
2012-13
2011-12
Participant Distribution

27. Project Issues & Modifications
Issues
• Participant Distribution
• Lack of Engagement

28. Project Issues & Modifications
• 82% of teachers engaged at some point over the year
• An average of 62% engaged in each term
• Only 37% engaged every term

29. Project Issues & Modifications
Issues
• Participant Distribution
• Lack of Engagement
• Lack of physics-teaching focus

30. Project Issues & Modifications
Issues
• Participant Distribution
• Lack of Engagement
• Lack of physics-teaching focus

31. Questions
1. How are remote mentoring relationships made
most effective?
2. What are the reasons for disengagement and
how do we tackle it?
3. How do we balance more general support with
mentoring to improve the practice of physics
teachers?