1. ALEXANDER POPOV FACULTY OF PHYSICS SOFIA UNIVERSITY BULGARIA tpopov@phys.uni-sofia.bg RATISLAV BANIK PHYSICS DEPARTMENT MBELL-UNIVERSITY SLOVAK REPUBLIC Banik@fpv.umb.sk OVIDIU CALTUN SOLID STATE AND THEORETICAL PHYSICS ALEXANDRU IOAN CUZA UNIVERSITY IASI ROMANIA CALTUN@UAIC.RO PHYSICS TEACHER TRAINING HIGH SCHOOL - UNIVERSITY TRAINING GAP IN PHYSICS GARETH JONES (COACH) IMPERIAL COLLEGE UNIVERSITY OF LONDON LONDON (UK) w.g.jones@imperial.ac.uk M. C. CARMO PHYSICS DEPARTMENT UNIVERSITY OF AVEIRO AVEIRO (PT) mccarmo@fis.ua.pt HAY GURTS PHYSICS DEPARTMENT UNIVERSITY OF NIJMEGEN (ND) hayg@sci.kun.nl

2. METHODOLOGY Surveying the views of university physics departments Surveying the university physics students Making personal contact with a number of physics teachers in high schools WORK GROUP 5, GENT 2006

3. 1. QUESTIONAIRE TO UNIVERSITY STAFF WORK GROUP 5, GENT 2006

5. INCOMING STUDENTS

6. WORK GROUP 5, GENT 2006

11. TIME EVOLUTION

12. WORK GROUP 5, GENT 2006

17. EXAMPLES OF MEASURES TAKEN Extra courses (physics and mathematics); More time with basic concepts; More gradual learning; Small group teaching; Extra student guidance (tutorials, homework, more discussion time and guidance in experimental planning; more often evaluation); e-learning in maths; Extra time for problem solving; Cooperation with high school teachers; Workshops for high school teachers; Promote discussion of teaching issues; Draw the attention of education authorities;

18. WORK GROUP 5, GENT 2006 2. STUDENT’S QUESTIONAIRE

19. WORK GROUP 5, GENT 2006

21. The majority of students feel a gap between school and University but consider having the generic skills and competences needed. Main difficulty in the first year: (i)Personal difficulties in: organizing their own timetable; deciding what to learn for an exam; lack of pressure to learn/make exams; difficulty to decide what lectures and lecturers to attend. (ii) System problems: much more personal effort needed due to the large amount of information to be processed; low level in mathematics then needed; not used to apply mathematics concepts to physics; more lectures compared to high school; no previous development of skills in problem solving; steeper learning curve in University. (iii) Social reasons: Integration difficulties; lack of knowledge of what the university system expects from the student.

22. WORK GROUP 5, GENT 2006 Students awareness of remedial measures

23. WORK GROUP 5, GENT 2006

24. Most effective of the remedial measures taken in the University (as seen by the students): Pre course in Mathematics Extra courses with extra tuition Homework Extra tuition hours for overviews and questions Social measures of integration.