Teacher Education & Research in Education

Laura TamassiaUC Leuven-Limburg

Bachelor programme for secondary school physics teachersInterdisciplinary research group Art of Teaching

Life after PhD, The String Theory Universe Leuven, September 11th, 2015

I teach physics to future physics teachers

I teach in professional development workshops

for teachers

Educational projects(Belgian-Flemish and European)

Design-based, practice-oriented research

• Educational design: innovative trajectories for pupils and future teachers• Creation of learning material • Try-out in schools and teacher education, dissemination• Project writing, coordination…

CONCRETE OUTPUT

Events, handbooks, worksheets, digital learning material …

Quantum physics projects with schoolsQuantum SpinOff

Research in Motion

www.onderzoekinbeweging.be

Physics Nobel Prize 2013 scenario

Be prepared to study

local language C1( for me 3 years

evening courses…)

pedagogical degree( for me 3 years

part-time …)Advice: consider doing (part of) this during

PhD/postdoc!

+ 4 years previous teaching experience

@KU Leuven

Be prepared to change…

“something really happened to you, Laura…”

I see… a community of practice

But scientific research: something like that, you can’t get it taught.It is a craft that you have to learn by watching, from a master who takes you on

as apprentice. The only valid pedagogy is watching.

F. Englert, de Standaard weekblad, 7/12/2013

What people say I use/have from string theory research…

In project writing, teaching, presenting:

• ‘crystal clear’ logic in accessible text• abstraction: the essence in one diagram• symmetry: ‘beautiful projects’• powerful use of the blackboard

In research:• ‘double speed’• research as ‘natural’• I do ‘everything’ – problem solving attitude• no problem with large EU dossiers and competitive context

• perfectionist, hypercritical• with a taste for content discussion (conflict?)

Bias and prejudice: ‘with your fundamental research background…’

• ‘you will never be able to do applied/practice-oriented research’• ‘your university teaching experience is useless here’

• …

What people also say of me(from string theory?)

FIND PEOPLE WHO ALLOW YOU TO SHOW THEM WHAT YOU CAN DO

Good luck with your career!