I am interested in the problem of how physics teachers learn to teach as a result of experiences in their teacher education program, both on practicum and during preservice courses. Although the literature often states that teacher candidates attach particular relevance to their practicum experiences, my research seems to confirm the established finding that the practicum may act as a conservative force in education. Thus it seems particularly relevant to pay attention to the ways in which experiences in methods courses can encourage teacher candidates to challenge, reframe, and extend their prior assumptions about teaching, learning, and the nature of physics. Findings from my doctoral research indicate that a methods course can have a significant impact on how physics teachers learn to teach, provided it is taught in a coherent way.

Recent Publications/Presentations:

Bullock, S. M. (2010, March). Beyond “repeating the textbook” and “problem solving”: Teacher candidates talk about learning to teach physics. Paper presented at the National Association of Research in Science Teaching (NARST) Conference, Philadelphia, PA.

Bullock, S. M. (2009, October). Challenging the cultural routines of teaching and learning: Lessons from a physics methods course. Paper presented at the EDGE conference: Inspiration and Innovation in Teaching and Teacher Education, St John’s, NL.