Why courses that combine content and pedagogy?
Research indicates that, of all pedagogical training, training in
subject-specific pedagogy is the most helpful(Brown, Smith, & Stein, 1995; Cohen & Hill, 1997). Recent research has found serious deficiencies
in conventional physics teaching methods as well as considerable
improvements from research-based instructional designs (Hake, 1998; Hammer, 1996). In the area of physics, it has been found that
over half of physics teachers are without an academic major or minor
in a physical science (Ingersoll, 1999). 