What and how should I teach? A study on Physics lecturers’ approaches to course design

Abstract

The responsibility of making teaching and learning design decisions mainly falls on individual lecturers with varying levels of teaching experience. Particularly beyond the first-year level, we know very little about how these lecturers decide what to teach and how to teach it.

The rationale and motivations behind the teaching approach decisions made by physics lecturers will be explored in this presentation. Data collected included in-depth interviews with five lecturers teaching second-year physics in 2023. Thematic analysis was used to analyse data according to Braun and Clarke (2021).

Preliminary results show that the initial year of teaching a course is critical. Placement rationale, course teaching track record, workload, and organisational aspects influence teaching methods and assessment choice. Teaching innovation is minimal in the initial year, with more occurring in subsequent years as workload decreases. Where significant innovations were made, personal and external values such as content load and student feedback influenced lecturers' decisions.

Understanding these patterns is important to better support lecturers, particularly those with limited experience, to make informed and effective teaching decisions. This study aims to contribute to the broader discourse on improving teaching practices and enhancing the quality of physics education.