Stuart Farmer

Elegant gold lines fan out from the top and bottom. The text reads, "IOP Awards 2026 Teachers of Physics Awards" in the center.

Great physics teacher don’t just deliver lessons – they ignite curiosity, build confidence & shape the scientists, engineers & innovators of tomorrow.

Know a secondary-level physics teacher who should be celebrated? Nominate them for the Teacher of Physics Award by 8 March.
https://bit.ly/3Ncy0e1

Learning Can Be Fun... But fun shouldn't be the goal of schools

Scottish Teachers.

open.substack.com/pub/bgeogheg...

A geometric design with red, purple, blue, green, and teal triangles. "IOP Institute of Physics" and "Join us!" are written in bold text in the center.

Want to work at the IOP? We're recruiting for three roles!

People Officer
Applications close 18 Feb
🔗 https://bit.ly/4aw3P9D

Brand & Marketing Assistant - Scholarship
Application close 19 Feb
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Brand & Marketing Assistant
Applications close 25 Feb
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Ariane 6 infographic showing how it can be configured on the launch pad

What does versatility mean for Ariane 6? 🤹‍♀️

Ariane 6 can be configured in many ways on the launch pad, it is modular by design.

Ariane 6 can have either 2 or 4 boosters, each providing 3500 kN of thrust. The fairing comes in two sizes can house multiple satellites in several configurations.

If we were to pay for and consume high quality protein such as the grass fed lamb, beef and venison produced by UK hill farmers on land not suitable for other purposes rather than intensivly reared and corn fed animals we would also ensure the landscapes many value are also well looked after.

I think the enactment of a well-constructed knowledge-based curriculum should always include lots of conversations (teacher-pupil, pupil-pupil, and teacher-teacher), that is a central part of effective enactment.

I do not think there is a clear dividing line between knowledge and understanding but that improved understanding comes by developing well sequenced and connected knowledge. Therefore understanding is most likely to be achieved through the enactment of a well designed knowledge-based curriculum.

The ASE Scotland Conference is back at Kinross High School in May and we are looking for proposals for presentations.

Technician, 1⁰ teacher, 2⁰ teacher or other involvement with STEMed & are interested in presenting please complete the short form

www.ase.org.uk/2026-ase-sco...

Review of Education | BERA Educational Research Journal | Wiley Online Library Agency is a concept that is increasingly prevalent in educational research, policy and practice at local, national and international levels. However, agency is frequently ambiguously defined and subj....

Here is a brilliant article - an extremely comprehensive and critical review of literature about the concept of agency in education - authored by our fabulous and very talented PhD student, Sophie Cathcart, supported by her doctoral superviusors.
doi.org/10.1002/rev3...

Since @didau.bsky.social has got back into doing more public writing in recent months his Substack has been a rich seam of good stuff, often sticking a pin in the balloon of ill-informed dogma that still surrounds much of education orthodoxy.

The appeal of nonsense How pseudoscience, placebo interventions and invented statistics continue to shape classroom practice despite decades of contrary evidence

Good stuff from David Didau on the guff teachers are told to do - despite a zero evidence base and no positive impact on pupils.

@didau.bsky.social

daviddidau.substack.com/p/the-costs-...

I am sure good Ed-tech used well by teachers and staff well supported to integrate this into their ways of working can have benefits but this is rarely the case. I cannot help but think that if the funding had been invested in teachers and traditional approaches gains would have been much greater.

Less than advertised United States, average test scores* of fourth-grade students, 2019 plotted against Students' in-classroom computer use

‘In major assessments for maths, science and reading from 2011 to 2019, greater in-school computer use for learning correlates with lower scores. In contrast, students in classes with rare or no computer use at all typically score highest’

Ed tech is profitable. It is also mostly useless Independent research identifies few learning gains

Blistering piece on ed tech in @economist.com.

‘Although ed-tech companies tout huge learning gains, independent research has made clear that technology rarely boosts learning in schools—and often impairs it.’
economist.com/united-state...

Privileging the Already Privileged The Progressive Case for Explicit Instruction

Discovery learning works well for students who least need it. carlhendrick.substack.com/p/privilegin...

Excellent Substack article by @carlhendrick.substack.com A good read for all those involved in Scotland’s Curriculum Improvement Cycle as there is always an overlap between curriculum making at a national level and curriculum making by teachers at a local level where pedagogy becomes intertwined.

If teachers are to move sectors in this way this will require significant investment in retraining. It is neither fair on teachers moving outwith their existing specialism or the pupils they will teach if they are not given sufficient and appropriate support to make the transition.

But you don't have to worry about pesky kids these days.

With Wonyong Park and the ASE, we are running a survey on science teachers' use of research to inform teaching.

If you are a science teacher, please consider taking 10-15 minutes to complete the survey. Participants may opt into a prize draw.

southampton.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...

Logo of the IOP Awards 2026 featuring the title 'Teachers of Physics Awards', with a design of radiating gold lines above and below the text.

🌟 Nominations are now open for the Teacher of Physics Awards as part of the #IOPAwards26! The Award honours secondary-level physics teachers who go above and beyond to inspire their students and elevate the profile of physics in schools and colleges.

📅 Closes: 8 March
🔗 https://bit.ly/3Ncy0e1

Was just having a conversation this morning where the issue of the disconnect between national and local government came up. It allows everyone to pass the buck and for no-one to take the necessary leadership or control over addressing problems such as teacher workload, recruitment, and retention.

Image calling for Cardiff-based physicists to volunteer for Mimi's Tiny Adventure event on Thursday 19 to Saturday 21 February.

We’re looking for volunteers to help run activities, welcome families & chat with them about your own journey in physics.

You'll be invited to an online training session to learn more about the IOP, walk through the activities & receive our proven engagement tips.

Email engagement@iop.org by 5 Feb

🥳 Major milestone for the 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿Scottish Dark Sky Observatory: architectural designs are now public and isn't she a beauty! Two 5m 🔭domes, observing deck, solar-panelled planetarium, exhibition area & cafe.
Fingers crossed that planning permission gets approved!
ℹ️: www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
📷: arpl

Rethinking Fast and Slow New evidence suggests the standard dual process story undersells intuition

The Trouble with Thinking Fast and Slow: Why the standard dual process story undersells intuition carlhendrick.substack.com/p/rethinking...

Sigh.

Despite daily use of high quality comprehension curricula across four leading US districts, two thirds of observed lessons facilitated only surface level understanding of texts rather than the robust comprehension these materials were designed to support. sri.com/publication/...

Fascinating analysis of the work of @krisboulton.bsky.social by @profbeckyallen.bsky.social. I have been spending lots of time on curriculum design and curriculum-making recently, but for teachers at a classroom level this becomes entwined with instructional design. We need more thinking like this.

Logo of the Institute of Physics "IOP Awards 2026 Medals and Prizes", featuring an arch comprised of thin vertical lines above the text.

Nominations are now open for the #IOPAwards26 Medals and Prizes! 🏆

These awards honour the people who make physics truly extraordinary - whether it’s pioneering research, inspiring education, or innovative applications in business.

⏰ Nominations close 2 March
👉 iop.org/awards

It is so important that the Curriculum Improvement Cycle now gives us a clearly specified knowledge-based curriculum to minimise these issues, and for many other reasons, including addressing attainment gaps and equity. 2/2

The Curriculum Ghost in the Data Machine The hidden reason shared assessments fail in most secondary subjects

Excellent description and explanation from @profbeckyallen.bsky.social of why all the 'moderation' exercises organised by Education Scotland and local authorities have largely been a huge waste of precious teacher time. 1/2
100assessment.substack.com/p/the-curric...