Australian teachers’ perspectives of two distinct physics curriculum paradigms

Abstract

In New South Wales (NSW), Australia, since 2019, senior high school students have been experiencing a transformed Physics syllabus. This syllabus takes a ‘back to basics’ approach where core principles and problem solving are prioritised, and was a response to the earlier syllabus, which was much more contextual, including the history of ideas and technologies and a wide range of ‘option’ topics. This earlier syllabus (2001–2018) attracted significant attention for straying away from ‘real’ physics, for including too much ‘sociology’, for being ‘dumbed down’ and ‘feminised’. Four years on, NSW teachers share their perspectives on some of the most well-publicised and contentious views on the new syllabus. Teachers mostly agreed that the new syllabus was more ‘rigorous’, higher quality and more mathematical; they also generally enjoyed teaching the subject. However, there were also some disagreements amongst the teachers, such as whether the new syllabus excluded certain groups of students and whether the aims of the syllabus in achieving ‘depth’, were met.