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Teacher Preparation Quiz Answers

PhysTEC Newsletter: Volume 1, Spring 2008

1. 1.1 million U.S. students took physics in 2005.
2. 33% of U.S. high school seniors graduating in 2005 had taken a physics class.
3. 28% of physics students took honors or advanced physics in 2005.
4. U.S. schools hire around 1,200 new physics teachers each year.
5. 31% of new teachers hired in 2005 had a physics or physics education degree.
6. 5,373 physics bachelor’s degrees were granted in 2006.
7. 4% (around 215) of these went into teaching immediately.
8. The top reason these teachers cited for going into teaching was a former high school teacher (40%).

Sources:

Facts 1-3, 5: American Institute of Physics Statistical Research Center’s
2005 Nationwide Survey of High School Physics Teachers, online at
http://www.aip.org/statistics/trends/hstrends.html.

Facts 4, 6-8: American Institute of Physics Statistical Research Center’s
Initial Career Paths of Physics Bachelor’s with a Focus on High School Teaching, online at
http://www.phystec.org/status/aip_careerpaths.pdf.