Views of physics teachers on how to address the declining enrolment in physics at the university level

Abstract

Teachers' views are worth hearing in order to get ideas on how to address the trend of declining enrolment in physics at the university level, which is regarded as a global problem. This study explores physics teachers' views on how to encourage more students to study physics at the university level. A sample of 166 physics teachers in Singapore schools was surveyed through an open-ended question survey. Their responses were analyzed qualitatively. Findings indicate that 11 categories emerged from the data. In particular, the categories on review of the physics curriculum and publicizing of the diversity of career opportunities available for physics graduates ranked highly. Some insights into possible ways to address the declining enrolment in physics at the university level are presented. © 2010 Taylor & Francis.