The 4+1 physics teacher preparation pathway at UMass Dartmouth

We describe the PhysTEC recruitment project at UMass Dartmouth. Our goal is to build an interdisciplinary model to increase the number of qualified physics teachers via targeted recruiting and streamlined pathways for teacher preparation. The Physics Department and the STEM Education and Teacher Development Department have established a 4+1 physics teacher preparation pathway (PTPP) to streamline the pathways to becoming a fully licensed physics teacher in a five-year program. We put concerted effort on aligning the BS & MS programs with a formal plan of study which leads to Physics BS/MATi (4+1 pathway) degrees. This carefully designed, intentional program replaces the ad-hoc routes students have previously taken. After the 5-year PTPP program, a student will be well prepared in both physics content and education courses to be a highly qualified and certified Physics teacher. We also built into the project successful components of other existing projects including strong outreach and teacher in residence. The 4+1 PTPP is now institutionalized and sustainable after the funding. We will discuss the results and experiences of the project up to date.