The PhysTEC project conducted a study of “thriving” physics teacher education programs (defined as programs that frequently graduate five or more physics teachers per year). The goal of the study was to identify common practices and structures of these highly successful programs so that these approaches may be emulated by other physics teacher education programs.

A new instrument, the Physics Teacher Education Program Analysis (PTEPA) Rubric, was developed to characterize the practices and structures observed at thriving programs, providing a guide for program leaders to reflect upon and improve their programs, and enable measurement and research over time.

This page contains the PTEPA Rubric and other supporting materials.

Webinar on the PTEPA Rubric May 6

On May 6 (at 12:00 ET), the PhysTEC program will host a webinar to support physics departments in improving their teacher education programs by completing the new PTEPA Rubric. During the one-hour webinar, the lead study author Stephanie Chasteen will introduce the Rubric, lead participants through one section of it, and answer your questions.

Please register here.

You can watch a recording of a previous, similar webinar here or download the slides.

PTEPA Rubric

• Print ready format (fillable PDF)
• PTEPA Rubric Interactive V2.1 (Excel workbook with visualization features)

Supporting Materials

• Getting Started with the PTEPA Rubric: 10 questions to consider regarding the strength of physics teacher education at your institution
• Rubric Snapshot: Overview of the PTEPA Rubric
• User's Guide: How to use the PTEPA Rubric to improve your program
• PTEPA Party: A one-page guide for collaborating with colleagues on completing the PTEPA Rubric 
• A Study of Thriving Physics Teacher Education Programs: Full Report
• PTEPA Rubric items with strong TIR influence

Institutions Studied for the Thriving Programs Study

• Georgia State University
• University of Colorado Boulder
• Rutgers University
• Rowan University
• California Polytechnic University-San Luis Obispo
• Stony Brook University
• Brigham Young University
• University of Texas at Austin

Authors

• Stephanie V. Chasteen – Chasteen Educational Consulting
• Rachel E. Scherr – Scherr & Associates
• Monica Plisch – American Physical Society 

Report Citation

Stephanie V. Chasteen, Rachel E. Scherr and Monica Plisch, A study of thriving physics teacher education programs: Development of the Physics Teacher Education Program Analysis (PTEPA) Rubric. (American Physical Society, College Park, MD, 2018).