Examining the Impact of Physics Focused Professional Development on Advanced Placement Teachers: A Comparative Case Study

This case study will examine the impact of additional physics focused professional development on advanced placement teachers in a southeastern state. There is a critical need to improve the quality of in-service teachers due to the large population of under-qualified physics teachers in the classroom. The need is even greater for the advanced placement physics teacher because of the level of rigor involved in the curriculum. Twelve participants (N = 12) will be purposefully selected from local high schools in the state. Six participants that experienced additional physics-focused professional development will be compared with the other six teachers with little or no additional in-service professional development experiences. Quantitative and qualitative data will be generated from teacher surveys, classroom observation, teacher interviews, and document analysis. The findings may add to existing knowledge on: 1) the need for effective content focused professional development; 2) improving teacher quality by enhancing their content knowledge competence and pedagogical skills; and 3) improving the teaching and learning of physics with the goal of ultimately improving students’ learning outcomes. Advancing physics education in America depends on improving the quality, performance, and effectiveness of teachers.