| Traditionally, physics has been considered the | | | | understand the mathematics in a meaningful way. |
| most difficult science, which should only be | | | | This is true even for smart, mathematically |
| attempted by mature students with a strong | | | | inclined people, and it is at least part of the reason |
| mathematical background. There is some truth to | | | | that so many people learn so little in high school |
| this- being comfortable with advanced math can | | | | physics classes. In essence, the goal of physics |
| certainly open up some areas of physics and | | | | first education is to help all students achieve a |
| there are topics in a solid, college-preparatory | | | | solid qualitative understanding of the physical |
| physics class that require some pretty serious | | | | world. Interested students can then refine that |
| number-crunching. However, there is another side | | | | pre-existing qualitative knowledge into a |
| to this story and a growing feeling among | | | | quantitative understanding in a later, more |
| educators (myself included) that even elementary | | | | advanced class. |
| school students can and should study physics. | | | | The philosophy behind physics first doesn't have |
| One of the strongest arguments for introducing | | | | to be restricted to educating high school |
| physics at a young age is that it is the most | | | | freshmen. It can effectively be applied to much |
| "basic" of the sciences. In other words, it's really | | | | younger children as well. For example, I teach |
| not possible to have a good understanding of | | | | science to a group of nine and ten year old |
| photosynthesis if you don't know anything about | | | | homeschoolers, and we have done quite a bit of |
| light. Learning about light is, of course, a branch of | | | | physics, with very little math beyond basic |
| physics. | | | | arithmetic. For example, last year we explored |
| There's currently a "physics first" movement that | | | | levers and turning effect. This year we will be |
| is trying to upend the traditional order of high | | | | looking into pulleys and simple circuits. I don't shy |
| school science classes so that the sequence | | | | away from using age-appropriate math, including |
| becomes physics in freshman year, then | | | | simple formulas, but neither do I emphasize |
| chemistry, and finally biology. In this model, | | | | formulas over a verbal understanding of events. |
| physics is taught as a more conceptual and less | | | | These kids are hardly advanced physics students, |
| calculation-based subject because younger | | | | but they have achieved significant understanding |
| students do not have the mathematical | | | | while retaining a strong interest in learning more. |
| knowledge of older ones. | | | | Critics of a conceptual approach to physics |
| Physics first could be the best thing that ever | | | | education worry that it is merely a way to lower |
| happened to physics education, if it is done | | | | standards. I share their desire for the highest |
| correctly. Beyond the obvious perk for | | | | standards possible, and I acknowledge that a |
| physics-enthusiasts everywhere that physics | | | | poorly executed conceptual physics program could |
| would studied by far more people than ever | | | | lack rigor. As always, details matter. A good |
| before, it could potentially be taught much more | | | | conceptual physics program should involve |
| effectively. One of the flaws in traditional physics | | | | hands-on (and "brain-on") experiments, extensive |
| education is that it assumes that students will | | | | writing, and some math. It should not be easy. On |
| learn the concepts that the mathematics illustrate | | | | the other hand, it shouldn't leave conscientious, |
| by applying the math to problems. Unfortunately, | | | | hard working students feeling like they are |
| this doesn't work well most of the time. Most | | | | studying an impossible subject- and traditional |
| people need to approach physics from a | | | | physics education leaves far too many students |
| conceptual point of view before they can | | | | with that feeling. |