Education and teaching – a brief background
You might think that a career in physics education and teaching means that you’ll be a secondary school science teacher. However, this is just one of the many possible career paths out there.
As a teacher or lecturer, you’ll need to understand physics and the syllabus you’re teaching, as well as having a bit more knowledge to hand so you can answer the questions of your most inquisitive students.
You will also need to have good organisation skills as well as a desire to make your teaching fun and engaging for your pupils. A good teacher is also a good motivator, encouraging pupils to carry on their learning beyond the classroom.
Alternatively, a career in physics education could lead to working for local or national government. This would involve directing how physics is taught in schools, for example.
As a STEM subject, a career in physics education and training is highly valued. For instance, the UK Government announced an incentive in 2022 where physics teachers could claim up to £9,000 in tax-free bonuses if they teach physics in disadvantaged schools.
What do I need to study for a career in education and teaching?
To become a teacher, you need to have English and Maths at GCSE grade 4, as well as a bachelor’s degree. You then need to gain Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) – you will do this by undertaking Initial Teacher Training (ITT), which takes one year to complete and is school or university based.
If you want to become a lecturer and teach at a higher level of education, you’ll need a strong bachelor’s degree (a first or a high 2.1) in Physics, followed by a master’s degree and then a PhD. You don’t need to take all of these steps at the same university. After your PhD, you will go on to become a postdoctoral researcher (post-doc), where you are part of a research group working underneath a supervisor. You should generally aim to do two post-docs, gaining experience in researching and teaching. After the post-docs, you will then apply for a lectureship. This entire process takes 9-12 years.
Working in the field of education and teaching
As you would expect, most opportunities in this subsector of physics careers are at schools, colleges and universities. There are always opportunities to become a personal tutor too.
Whether you work at a school, college or university, being a teacher of physics involves lesson planning, assessing and grading students on their performance, being innovative with your methods of teaching and being able to relate to your students – showing commitment to helping them learn and giving them the confidence to achieve their very best.
If you’re in higher education, you’ll need to have a passion for research, carving out an area of specialism and showcasing your unique flair. You will need resilience, as the career path to becoming a lecturer is long and intense at times.
In both teaching and lecturing, you will need to understand your students and find the best methods to communicate with them, adapt your syllabus to their learning styles and, importantly, maintain discipline and respect.
Perhaps most importantly, you need to show a desire to always evolve and adapt your teaching methods and approach. Every student will have different needs and a career in education and teaching will involve unique situations every single day.