Pedagogical knowledge base: A conceptual framework for teacher admission

Abstract

The present study aims to reduce part of the existing gap in the application of research findings on teacher cognition to L2 teacher selection/recruitment practices. To this end, research findings on teacher cognition were employed to establish categories of pedagogical knowledge of six EFL teachers in Iran as revealed through stimulated recall technique. Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) then mapped these categories onto the Methodology section of Iran's MA TEFL admission exams in order to measure the content validity of the tests. Construct validity test was also used on the exams using SPSS. The results were then examined vis-à-vis the top pedagogical knowledge categories identified from the six EFL teachers' classroom teaching. This comparison revealed a significant degree of construct under-representation and construct irrelevance in the exams. Many exam items either failed to adequately assess relevant aspects of the pedagogical knowledge base of EFL teachers, or measured vaguely defined knowledge areas. Implications for teacher education policies and practices are discussed at the end.