How Parents can Support Uptake of A-level Physics

If your child shows some interest in physics good for you! Physics offers innumerable opportunities for rewarding careers and is also beneficial to society. Since physics provides explanations about how the world works, when your child studies physics, it’ll spur their innovativeness and broaden their horizons. It opens the door to a future as a talented scientist, engineer and so on.

However, it’s likely that if you don’t particularly feel much about physics, you may discourage your kids from taking physics for their A-levels. That need not be the case. You can support your child to take physics tuition and guide them on a route that matches well with their interests, desires, and capabilities.

Here’s how you can do that

Show Some Interest

You probably didn’t know it but even if you are not the “physics type” you can support your child tremendously just by showing some interest. Here’s a story that can get you inspired.

Eleanor is a third-year masters physics student in the UK. Her mum is a banker and her dad dropped out of school at 18 to join the army. However, Eleanor scored an A in her A-level physics exams. Although she seemed not to have the pedigree for a career in physics, when she was asked why she chose physics, she responded by saying that she always found the subject intriguing because of the interest her dad showed. He had all the Stephen Hawkins books at home and encouraged her to read so that she could understand the world.

Seek Out Physics Extra-curriculars

Extracurricular activities are not limited to sports or performing arts—there are plenty of science-based options available. Take your child for science fairs and science competitions such as Singapore International Science Camp' (SISC). These competitions and fairs trigger interest in students and challenges them to solve real-world science problems – many of them using physics concepts.

Enroll Your Child in Physics Tuition

As a parent, you don’t have much of a choice when it comes to choosing the teachers assigned to teach a particular subject at your child’s school. School boards and management take up that responsibility. However, you can enroll your child in O level physics tuition with an experienced and effective teacher.

At the O-level or A level physics tuition, being on good terms with the teacher really works! As your son or daughter takes up classes, try and find out whether they have struck rapport with the tutor. Is the tutor creative? Does he or she make it interesting and present the lessons in a fun way? Is the teacher firm? Does he or she give room for self-effort? It’ll go a long way in supporting your child take up A-level physics.

Finally, Create Career Possibilities

The above steps will help your child make an A-level physics choice on the basis of what they prefer now. However, you can reach deeper and tap into their visions of what they want to be in the future. Exposing them to mentors in physics related careers is perhaps the most potent way of supporting your child to take up A-level physics and chart a successful future.