Primary, secondary and university pre-service physics teacher education: What scientific education is relevant for becoming a physics teacher in a technological world?

There is no doubt that teachers play a central role sparking students’ interest in physics and supporting them in learning about physics. The question is, however, what teachers need to know and, more importantly, what other qualities teachers need to possess in order to meet the demands that come with that central role. In this position paper, I will address questions about the main issues we are currently facing in physics teacher education and what can be done about it. I will argue for a stronger focus on non-cognitive qualities of teacher professional competence, their role in the organization of high-quality physics instruction and how these qualities can be developed in physics teacher education.