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California State University, Long Beach

California State University Long Beach (CSULB) is a large comprehensive university located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area with a population of nearly 38,000. CSULB prepares 6% of California’s secondary science teachers, as well as a large number of pre-secondary teachers, and is recognized as a Hispanic Serving Institution. The university has a Science Education Department situated within the Physics Department in the College of Natural Science and Mathematics, and this department has hosted several funded projects to support future science teachers, including a Robert Noyce Teacher Scholarship program.

The CSULB PhysTEC project aims to increase the number of physics majors earning teaching credentials at CSULB by active recruiting, early teaching experience opportunities, and continuing support structures for all levels of teachers. Participating students will be identified as “PhysTEC Scholars,” and will participate in a Learning Assistant program as well as courses designed to provide early teaching experiences and physics discipline-specific teaching methodology.

Goals and Outcomes

The major goal of the CSULB PhysTEC project is to increase the number of secondary physics
teachers being credentialed by CSULB who have a degree in physics. We plan to develop, over
time, a cohort of participants identified as PhysTEC Scholars, providing an easily recognized
support group and identification with the project within both departments. Five action plans to
accomplish the goal are (1) actively recruiting physics majors to the teaching credential program,
(2) creating multi-level entrance opportunities to the credential program and developing PHYS
courses with early teaching experiences, (3) providing various support structures for the
PhysTEC Scholars interested in/pursuing the secondary physics teaching credential at CSULB,
(4) building into the Physics degree curriculum overlapping requirements for the credential to
expose students to the teaching profession, and (5) building a relationship between local high
school teachers and physics department faculty.

Project Posters

Download a copy of this poster.

Download a copy of this poster.