ENTREVISTA CON EUGENIA ETKINA

Brief biography: Dr. Eugenia Etkina, born in Moscow, Soviet Union. Professor in the Physics Department, at Rutgers University, USA. Has 30 years of teaching experience in physics and astronomy instruction at middle school, high school and university levels. She earned her Ph.D. in physics education from Moscow State Pedagogical University. In 1995-1997 she taught physics courses for students at-risk at Rutgers university (New Jersey, USA), for which she together with Dr. Horton developed a highly successful approach.Her main research interest is in the cognitive and epistemological aspects of learning physics, acquisition and transfer of scientific abilities and the process of constructing physics teacher. Her doctoral students earn Ph.D.s in Learning Sciences, Ed.D.s in Science Education in the GSE and Ph.D.s in Physics Education Research in the Department of Physics and Astronomy.Questions for professor Etkina.1. Can you tell us a little about your education as a physics teacher?2. What kind of things helps a person become a better physics teacher? 3. Why do you use the word “magic” to talk about physics teaching?4. What that’s mean for you “didactic physics”?5. What kind of knowledge does a physics teacher need?6. What would you say to pre service physics teachers, in order to improve their future practice?