Leading team:
- Prof. Edit Yerushalmi
- Prof. Yaron Lehavi
Project team:
- Yocheved Brestel
- AVI RAHAV
- Carmel Gorni
Secretariat and Administration:
Jenna KaufmanBrief
The National Center for Physics Teachers was established in 1995 in the Department of Science Teaching at the Weizmann Institute of Science. The activities of the National Center are fully coordinated with the Ministry of Education Physics Teaching Superintendence.
The National Center for Physics Teachers aims to advance the professional development of physics teachers in Israel, and to support the expansion of their Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK). The Center is involved in the development and integration of various frameworks and tools that support the professional development of teachers in collaboration with academic institutes throughout the country, such as the Technion, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and particularly the Physics Education Group at the Weizmann lnstitute's Science Teaching Department, where the following projects are underway:
- The National Network of "Physics Teachers Communities" project, which trains a leading cohort of teachers to guide high school physics teacher communities all over the country;
- Developing Experimental Research Practices in Laboratory Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) for Physics Teachers
- The "Gateway to Physics" project, which trains middle school physics teachers to guide inquiry-oriented learning and teaching in advanced level Physics classrooms;
- The physics component of PeTeL (Personalized Teaching and Learning digital environment)
communities and short-term workshops, assisting and empowering teachers in their everyday practice, and introducing novel strategies and tools, as well as in developing tools and aids for physics teaching (such as booklets in Hebrew and Arabic).
The center operates the National physics teachers center website, publishes the journal ''Tehuda" (edited by Prof. Yaron Lehavi), holds the National Physics Teachers' Conference once a year, and supports additional seminars.
Our thanks to the Ministry of Education for its support.
Further reading:
- The National Center for Physics Teachers.
- Tehuda, The Israeli Physics’ Teacher.
- Bagno, E., Levy, S. & Eylon, BS. How can a Website for Physics Teachers Serve as a Tool for Professional Development?. J Sci Educ Technol 15, 215–219 (2006).
Instructional materials
* Legend: MALAM - the Israeli Center for Science and Technology Education, Ministry of Education, Israel. In Hebrew.
- Levy, S., Noga, A., & Yerushalmi, E. (2020). Professional Learning Communities - Leaders’ guide, MALAM.
- Kapach, Z., & Yerushalmi, E. (2020). Resources for the sub-committee “Reform in the national lab matriculation”. MALAM.
- Abrashkin, A. Safran, S., & Yerushalmi, E. (2020). Expanding knowledge in physics for mentors of students, research projects – Statistical Mechanics modeling of "non-interacting" systems for 11th graders part b – Thermal Contact, MALAM.
- Abrashkin, A. Safran, S., & Yerushalmi, E. (2020). Expanding knowledge in physics for mentors of students’ research projects – Statistical Mechanics modeling of "non-interacting" systems for 11th graders part a – Diffusion, MALAM.
- Edri, H., & Yerushalmi, E. (2020). Teacher's booklet –multi particle systems in high school physics, MALAM.
- Magen, E., Halamish, Y., Shaked, A., Gilat, O., Lehavi, Y., & Yerushalmi, E. (2022). Interactive PeTel modules: diagnosis-based instructional sequences to promote self- regulated learning in the physics classroom, MALAM.
- Kapach, Z., & Yerushalmi, E. (2022). “Towards reform in the national lab matriculation” teachers’ booklet – assessment items and scoring rubrics. MALAM.
- Kapach, Z. Noga, A., Abrashkin A., & Yerushalmi, E. (2023). “Towards reform in the national lab matriculation” teachers’ booklet - deliberation lab activities - Mechanics. MALAM.
- Kapach, Z. Sivan, O., Levy, S., & Yerushalmi, E. (2023). Professional learning community leader modules – promoting practices aligned with the OECD 2030 learning compass in the instructional laboratory – experimental design and measurement uncertainty. MALAM.
- Magen, E., Ofir, K., Levy, S., Gilat, O., & Yerushalmi, E. (2023). Professional learning community leader modules: integrating digital activities to promote self- regulated learning in physics problem solving, MALAM.
- Magen, E., Ofir, K., Levy, S., Lehavi, Y., & Yerushalmi, E. (2023). Interactive PeTel modules: diagnosis-based teaching sequences in the physics classroom aligned with the OECD 2030 learning compass, MALAM.
- Porat, G., Walter, M., Langley, D., & Yerushalmi, E. (2023). Impulse and Momentum – a diagnostic questionnaire developed for grouper: a learning analytic tool presenting teachers with projection of their own class on clusters of student responses exhibiting similar knowledge structures. MALAM.
- Krakover, Z., Blau Barak, E., Perl, D., Bernholz U., Katz, B., & Yerushalmi, E. (2023). Gateway to Physics – Inquiry modules for 9th grade advance level Physics - Energy, MALAM.
- Bernholz U., Katz, B. Lehavi, Y. Blau Barak, E., Krakover, Z., Abrashkin, A., Perl, D., & Yerushalmi, E. (2023). Energy and Environment – visualizing thermal energy - digital activities, MALAM.
- Kapach, Z. Abrashkin A., Lehavi, Y., & Yerushalmi, E. (2023). Teacher booklet, Physics for science 10th grade students, Optics – Part B, MALAM.
- Kapach, Z. Abrashkin A., Lehavi, Y., & Yerushalmi, E. (2023). Teacher booklet, Physics for science 10th grade students, Optics – Part A, MALAM.
- Levy, S, Shvarzbord, Kobi, Noga A. & Yerushalmi, E. (2024). Professional learning community leader modules: physics card games to promote knowledge organization. MALAM.
- Ofir, K., Levy, S. & Yerushalmi, E. (2024). Interactive PeTel modules: Digital Activities to Promote Self-Monitoring in Physics Problem Solving. MALAM.
- Noga, A., Kapach, Z., Levy, S. & Yerushalmi, E. (2024). Professional learning community leader modules: Deliberation Lab Activities to Promote Student Agency in Experimental Research Practices. MALAM.
- Kapach, Z., Noga, A., & Yerushalmi, E. (2024). Teachers’ booklet: Lab Activities and assessment items aligned with the reformed lab matriculation guidelines. MALAM.
- Levy, S., Shvarzbord, K., Noga, A. & Yerushalmi, E. (2025). Professional learning community leader modules: physics card games to promote knowledge organization- Newton Laws. MALAM
- Kapach, Z., Noga, A., & Yerushalmi, E. (2025). Reference materials for professional development leader aligned with the reformed lab matriculation guidelines
- Noga, A., Kapach, Z., & Yerushalmi, E. (2025). Teachers’ booklet: Lab Activities aligned with the reformed lab matriculation guideline