Physics education

In Hong Kong, physics is a subject for public examination. Local students in Form 6 take the public exam of Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE).[3]

Compare to the other syllabus include GCSE, GCE etc which learn wider and boarder of different topics, the Hong Kong syllabus is learning more deeply and more challenges with calculations.[4] Topics are narrow down to a smaller amount compared to the A-level due to the insufficient teaching hours at secondary schools in Hong Kong, which include temperature, heat, internal energy, change of state, gases, position, motion, force, projectile motion, work, energy, power, momentum, uniform circular motion, gravitation, wave, light, sound, electrostatics, circuits, electromagnetism, radiation, radioactivity, atomic model, nuclear energy, universe, astronomy, stars, Rutherford model, photoelectric effect, Bohr model, particles, nanoscopic scale, building, transportation, renewable energy sources, eye, ear, non-ionizing radiation and ionizing radiation etc.[4]

Some schools only allow students choose physics as elective subject since Form 4[5], some schools provide physics compulsory curriculum in Form 3 and then allow students to choose in Form 4[6], and some other schools allow students choose physics as elective subject since Form 3.[7] Also, most schools use English language as the medium of instruction for physics[6][7], whereas a few of the schools use Chinese language as the medium of instruction for physics[5].

Other than having lectures in classrooms or laboratories, schools in Hong Kong organise outside-school activities to motivate students learning Physics.[8]

Pure Physics major programmes are provided in the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)[9], Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST)[10] and University of Hong Kong (HKU).[11] Topics include engineering physics, mechanics, thermodynamics, fluids, wave, optics, modern physics, laboratory, heat, electromagnetism, quantitative methods, computational physics, astronomy, astrophysics, classical mechanics, quantum mechanics, quantum information, statistical physics, theoretical physics, computer simulation, soft matter, practical electronics, contemporary physics, instrumentation, statistical mechanics, solid state physics, meteorology, nanoscience, optical physics, theory of relativity and particle physics etc.[12]

There are different approaches of delivering physics lectures in different universities in Hong Kong. In CUHK, most relevant knowledge including quantitative methods and computer simulation are learnt in the Department of Physics, which may let the students learn deeper into the concept that applied to the physics problems[12], whereas in HKUST, quantitative methods and computer simulation are learnt by students in the courses delivered by Department of Mathematics and Department of Computer Science respectively which allow the students to learn boarder with knowledge of different aspects.[13]

There are also Enrichment Stream in Theoretical Physics offered by CUHK[14] and International Research Enrichment Track offered by HKUST[13]. In that stream, additional topics include astrophysics, particle physics, computational physics, and quantum physics. The practices of solving theoretical systems and the discussions of physical insight are very in-depth, which promote the graduates into a high level of the understanding of physics. However, the working opportunity for graduates with theoretical background in Hong Kong is too narrow. Most graduates pursue further studies overseas or become teachers.[14]

Moreover, Applied Physics major programmes are offered only in most other universities in Hong Kong.

Physics is taught in high schools, college and graduate schools. In the US, it has traditionally not been introduced until junior or senior year (i.e. 11th/12th), and then only as an elective or optional science course, which the majority of American high school students have not taken. Recently in the past years, many students have been taking it their sophomore year.

Physics First is a popular and relatively new movement in American high schools. In schools with this curriculum 9th grade students take a course with introductory physics education. This is meant to enrich students understanding of physics, and allow for more detail to be taught in subsequent high school biology, and chemistry classes; it also aims to increase the number of students who go on to take 12th grade physics or AP Physics (both of which are generally electives in American high schools.) But many scientists and educators argue that freshmen do not have an adequate background in mathematics to be able to fully comprehend a complete physics curriculum, and that therefore quality of a physics education is lost. While physics requires knowledge of vectors and some basic trigonometry, many students in the Physics First program take the course in conjunction with Geometry. They suggest that instead students first take biology and chemistry which are less mathematics-intensive so that by the time they are in their junior year, students will be advanced enough in mathematics with either an Algebra 2 or pre-calculus education to be able to fully grasp the concepts presented in physics. Some argue this even further, saying that at least calculus should be a prerequisite for physics.

Undergraduate physics curricula in American universities includes courses for students choosing an academic major in physics, as well as for students majoring in other disciplines for whom physics courses provide essential prerequisite skills and knowledge. The term physics major can refer to the academic major in physics or to a student or graduate who has chosen to major in physics.

Physics courses for non-science majors in the university are usually survey-type courses. The topics covered in courses varies widely, but they are covered shallowly in comparison to more specialized classes for physics majors. Lectures in this area often involve physical demonstrations that aid in the understanding of course material that may be difficult to understand. Students do not need to know how to use formulas requiring advanced mathematics. The content of the course typically requires the use of basic algebra. Tangible applications of course material is typically emphasized. Some courses involve a laboratory component in addition to a lecture portion. The content of the laboratory is usually related to the content of the lecture. Laboratory study gives students experience in doing hands on work with topics covered in lecture. Often labs are administered in a proctored environment, with instructors or assistants providing support and direction to students.

Physics courses for science or engineering majors usually explore deeper than the survey courses. The content of each individual course might not have as great of scope as survey-type courses, but the greater depth in each topic provides added instruction in areas specific to the students' curriculum. Physics courses for science majors typically have more advanced prerequisite mathematics courses that allows topics within physics to be explored on a more mathematical level. Common prerequisite courses include calculus and differential equations. Teaching in these courses often involves utilizing mathematics to derive formulas, leading to a more mathematical understanding of the physics being taught.

The courses for physics majors are typically even more advanced. At the beginning of the college, their courses have few differences with the physics courses for the general education of science major. After the first year, the physics majors need to go up and study many deeper knowledge. The first change of the course is that the scale of the courses is much more smaller than before due to the different major of students in high grade. And for the content of the course, the quantitative analysis is really important. Meanwhile, there is usually a solid of homework. The grades of the students are largely decided by the homework and exams. The non-academic part, such as participation, discussion, would have little weight. Each year, there are some specific required courses. But students usually can make some change due to their own ability. Students who are enthusiastic can take the graduate level course in senior year.  There are also some purely lab courses, which teach students how to do the advanced experiment and write the lab report.