Student Teacher Knowledge Development of Environmental Context

Abstract

ABSTRACTPedagogical content knowledge (PCK) is comprised of knowledge of pedagogy, students, content, and environmental context. Physical education preservice teachers (PTs) initially develop knowledge of pedagogy followed by concurrent emergence of knowledge of students and content. Development of environmental contextual knowledge (e.g., political, social, and physical school factors) is limited during early field teaching experiences. The purpose of this research was to investigate one student teacher’s knowledge development of environmental context over a 16-week internship experience. The senior male student teacher (ST) participant was placed at a public charter school located in the Rocky Mountain West for 16 weeks. Observations, journals, writing prompts, and interviews comprised data collection. Four salient themes emerged from the analysis of data: foundational constructs, academic prioritization, relationships with mentors and students, and physical constraints. Suggestions include purposeful placements and prior foundational knowledge.