Physics Teacher Knowledge Aimed in Pedagogical Studies in Finland and in South Korea

Abstract

Background:This paper analyzes the pedagogical studies of Finnish and South Korean physics teacher education programs that guide teacher educators to support student teachers’ to build readiness for acting as professional teachers in a secondary school classroom. Research on the domains and origin of teachers’ professional knowledge provides a framework for analyzing the programs and the potential support of the program for becoming a professional teacher.Material and methods:First, the aims of the pedagogical studies are categorized, resulting in ten themes that characterize the programs. Second, the programs are analyzed in the framework domains of teacher knowledge and the origins the knowledge is suggested to learn. The domains of knowledge include the knowledge needed in consuming and producing educational research, general pedagogical knowledge, and pedagogical content knowledge.Results:Distribution among the four domains of teacher knowledge varies in Finnish and South Korean programs, reflecting the differences in the national education cultures.Conclusions:Pedagogical studies in Korean physics teacher education are more theoretically oriented than their Finnish counterparts. However, the Finnish and Korean programs do bear similarities, such as an emphasis on reflection and a research orientation, as a part of their pedagogical studies.