Teacher Subject Specialism Training (TSST)
TSST courses teach secondary physics to non-specialist and returning teachers. The courses are run by schools and approved and funded by the DfE. They are free to participants and usually take place during term-time. This content is for:
- teachers new to teaching physics or a teacher returning to teaching physics
- TSST course providers
- Initial Teacher Education provider
Courses are designed to enable non-specialists either to take on physics teaching as an additional specialism or to retrain as a physics specialist teacher.
In addition, they also support teachers who wish to return to the profession after a period away from the classroom.
Please note that this programme is coordinated by the Department for Education and is available in England only.
Teachers
If you are an established teacher new to teaching physics or a teacher returning to teaching physics, taking a physics TSST course will help to improve your physics subject knowledge.
- Browse our IOP-enabled, community approved TSST courses.
- Improve your understanding with our classroom resources below.
- Browse our teacher support page for classroom and careers resources.
Course providers
I am delivering a TSST course
If you are an educational establishment delivering a TSST course:
- use the classroom resources on this page to help deliver your course
- take a look at our marketing action plan for schools (PDF, 231KB) to help you recruit teachers onto your course. It includes:
- advice on advertising your course
- how to target schools,
- creating a web presence
- running information events
Classroom resources
The following resources were developed for a Science Additional Specialism: Physics 30-day course. Each of these PowerPoint files represents roughly one day’s programme of the course. TSST course providers can customise the contents to suit the courses being offered.
As an educational establishment you can use these classroom materials free of charge. These materials may not be reproduced for profit by any other organisation.
- Introduction (PPT, 4423KB)
- Physics practical work (PPT, 939KB)
Astronomy
- Astrophysics & cosmology (PPT, 2.7MB)
- Earth in space (PPT, 2.9MB)
Atoms and nuclei
- Exponential processes (PPT, 633KB)
- Particle physics (PPT, 1.8MB)
- Quantum phenomena (PPT, 2.2MB)
- Radioactivity (PPT, 1.6MB)
Electricity
- Charge and current (PPT, 1.3MB)
- Electric circuits: models and analogies (PPT, 1.7MB)
- DC circuit theory (PPT, 1MB)
- Potential difference and resistance (PPT, 1.1MB)
Energy
- Energy (PPT, 1.5MB)
- Kinetic theory & gases (PPT, 1.6MB)
- Thermal properties (PPT, 399KB)
- Thermodynamics (PPT, 1MB)
Fields
- Fields: gravitational and electric (PPT, 1MB)
- Magnetic fields and electromagnetic induction (PPT, 713KB)
- Magnetism & electromagnetism (PPT, 2.2MB)
Mechanics
- Forces and simple machines (PPT, 795KB)
- Kinematics of linear motion (PPT, 1MB)
- Mechanics in 2D (PPT, 910KB)
- Momentum and collisions (Newton's 3) (PPT, 887KB)
- Newton's laws 1&2 (PPT, 919KB)
- Solid materials (PPT, 2.2MB)
- Uniform circular motion (PPT, 1MB)
Vibration and waves
- Communication systems (PPT, 1.4MB)
- Electromagnetic spectrum (PPT, 1.7MB)
- Reflection and refraction (PPT, 2.3MB)
- Simple harmonic motion (PPT, 460KB)
- Waves in 2D (PPT, 3.5MB)
- Waves, sound & music (PPT, 2.4MB)
Further information
Email teach@iop.org or call us on 020 7470 4959.