Teach17

Lewis Matheson has taken physics teaching far beyond the classroom. A former Head of Physics and Head of Science, he is the founder of Physics Online, which has grown from a collection of videos made for his own students into a major source of support for GCSE and A Level Physics students. Through videos, revision resources, livestreams and exam support, Lewis now helps students and teachers across the UK and beyond. In these 17 questions, he talks about his journey from the Army into teaching, why he started Physics Online, the challenges students face in physics, effective revision and how AI could change education.

Question 1

What first inspired you to become a physics teacher?

I think I first decided while I was serving in Afghanistan and had to consider what was next. I loved the Army, but it isn’t a stable career. I could see that, with teaching, I could work anywhere and it was much more family-friendly in the long term.

Question 2

Why did you start making physics videos for your own students?

I started making videos when I was helping with the school Combined Cadet Force, to record what the students had been up to on trips away at the weekend. I then attended a CPD session about flipped learning, but at the time I couldn’t find suitable videos to use with my students, so I thought I’d better make my own. I didn’t realise what a big job it would be.

Question 3

When did you realise Physics Online could become something much bigger?

When I started, I never thought it could become a full-time business. It was always something I thought I could run alongside my job as a teacher. The thing that changed my mind was the first month when I earned £1,000. I thought that this could actually be a business, not just a supplement to my teaching salary.

Question 4

What made you decide to leave full-time teaching and focus on Physics Online?

I was a Head of Science and loved the job, but I simply did not have any time to keep making more videos. I was constantly receiving messages from teachers and students asking for more, but I couldn’t keep up with the demand.

Question 5

What have you learned from being both a Head of Physics and a Head of Science?

That Head of Physics is the ideal role, where you can really get to grips with your specialist subject. But to progress in your career as a teacher, you have to move away from that and take on wider responsibilities that don’t always align with what you’re truly interested in.

Question 6

What makes a really effective physics explanation?

Using the simplest everyday language possible and not assuming that everyone has all the prior knowledge needed to understand the new concepts being taught.

Question 7

Which physics topics do students tend to find hardest, and why?

Fields. You can’t see them and, at times, they are quite an abstract concept. There are also many similar but subtly different parts to them. With gravitational fields, you have gravitational potential, gravitational potential energy, field strength, etc. It’s easy to get confused.

Question 8

How do you decide what makes a good revision video?

Keeping it to the point without rushing the proper science. And if it is for revision, then it has to be specific to the exam board that the student will be sitting, so they can be confident that the material is relevant to them.

Question 9

Has YouTube changed the way students learn and revise physics?

It is still the first place that people look for help, and the quality is still variable. There are amazing videos by specialist physics teachers, as well as some that continue to include misconceptions and small errors that the creators don’t realise they haven’t addressed.

Question 10

What revision mistakes do you see students making most often?

Just watching videos and feeling like they have covered the material. Revision is not a passive activity. It takes your full attention and can be hard, and there aren’t quick shortcuts that guarantee success.

Question 11

How should students use past-paper questions effectively?

Start earlier in the year, even if you haven’t covered every single topic. And once you’ve finished and marked your answers, study the examiners’ reports to see the common mistakes that other students have made in real exams.

Question 12

What can physics teachers do to build confidence in students who find the subject difficult?

Constant reassurance and celebrating the small wins. Physics is not as important to them as it is to us physics teachers, and it is just one of many subjects they have to study alongside everything else going on in their lives outside school. So it is important to keep things in perspective.

Question 13

How can schools make better use of online resources without replacing good classroom teaching?

Online resources should never replace proper lessons, with teacher-led explanations and real practical work. When teachers use online material to support lessons, it is really important that they have watched the video first or checked the questions set online so they know the material is suitable for their class.

Question 14

What have you learned from speaking directly to so many GCSE and A Level students?

That there is so much genuine enthusiasm for the subject and for learning in general among really motivated people from all backgrounds and in all types of schools.

Question 15

How do you see AI changing physics teaching and revision over the next few years?

I can see two sides to this. On the one hand, it could introduce much more personalised learning experiences for students and open up this kind of support to more people, with a lower barrier to accessing it. But with more cheap AI slop being generated, real relationships with qualified specialist teachers will become even more important in guiding young people through what is available.

Question 16

What would you like Physics Online to become in the future?

The biggest, most trusted, most in-depth and accessible place for students, teachers and technicians to access everything they need for GCSE and A Level Physics.

Question 17

What one piece of advice would you give to a student who wants to get better at physics?

Do more physics. More time spent answering physics questions will make you better at physics and help you enjoy it more, which will in turn make you want to do more physics questions and not see it as a chore.

Find out more about Lewis Matheson and Physics Online:

Physics Online
https://www.physicsonline.com/

GCSE Physics Online
https://www.gcsephysicsonline.com/

A Level Physics Online
https://www.alevelphysicsonline.com/

Physics Online on YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@PhysicsOnline