IOP hosts inaugural Physics Education Research Symposium

The Institute of Physics (IOP) welcomed more than 70 esteemed colleagues to the inaugural IOP Physics Education Research Symposium last month.

A diverse range of physics educators and researchers from across the UK were invited to this pioneering hybrid event to share their perspective on physics education research (PER), the best methods to translate research into practice and how to make physics learning more accessible and inclusive.

The symposium, built on the success of the IOP’s PER club for teachers, underscored the IOP’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of physicists and the vital role that such research plays in improving equity, diversity and inclusion within physics education.

Participants from schools and colleges, initial teacher education (ITE) and higher education (HE) institutions joined the event organising committee to ensure that it was accessible for their colleagues. The committee ensured that the online experience mirrored the in-person event, with opportunities to contribute in advance as well as during live sessions.

A key aim was to foster collaboration and build new connections within the PER community.

_{The symposium brought together physics education research communities in schools, colleges, and ITE and HE institutions across the UK to collaborate at the IOP’s London offices and online.}

Keynotes on role of education research

Judith Hillier, the IOP’s newly appointed Vice-President for Learning and Skills, discussed the place of education research in ITE and the need for all research to have direct relevance to policy and practice.

Natasha Serret of Nottingham Trent University shared her experience of the power and possibilities of practitioner research as a primary physics specialist. Wonyong Park presented his research at the University of Southampton on cross-curricular integration between school history and science departments. The collaboration brought a social justice perspective and a sense of agency to studying physics.

Key themes and discussion points

Discussions took centre stage at the symposium with many overlapping themes and challenges emerging throughout the day. There was a call for establishing stronger links between education sectors and a forum for sharing expertise, resources, and best practices.

Themes discussed on the day included the need for dedicated resources to support PER in the UK, such as the IOP’s Bell Burnell Graduate Scholarships, the value of opportunities for teacher-led research and the importance of an improved feedback loop for practitioners.

_{Ellen Oldershaw, 2024 IOP Bell Burnell Scholar at University of Liverpool, and fellow PER PhD student, Toluwalase Akanbi-Akinlolu, King’s College London, discuss the PER landscape in higher education.}

Teacher takeaways

Kerry Colyer, Deputy Head of Science, The Elton High School, and STEM Learning Physics Coach, said: “It was great to have the time and space to meet colleagues working in HE and ITE and hear how physics education research impacts their roles. One of the highlights for me was hearing about other teachers’ research projects for the IOP’s Physics Teacher Educator programme and the Ogden Senior Teacher Fellowships.”

The IOP is committed to building on the success of this inaugural event to continue championing PER and growing this community of practice. Education research has a vital role in nurturing the next generation of physicists, including physics teachers. Join the IOP’s Community of Physics Teaching to get involved in PER-related activities at the IOP and across the UK. 

The IOP Learning and Skills team will be sharing education research findings and applications at the Association for Science Education annual conference in January 2025 on spaced learning in physics lessons; retaining early career physics teachers; inclusive science teaching and supporting neurodivergent physics teachers and students.