Students’ Perceptions of Biology Teachers’ Enacted Pedagogical Content Knowledge at Selected Secondary Schools in Lusaka Province of Zambia

Abstract

Since teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) plays a vital role in attaining educational goals, it has become a favourable construct in science education research. Because students are more perceptive when evaluating teachers, this quantitative survey examined students’ perceptions of biology teachers’ enacted PCK (ePCK). The sample consisted of 319 students from six secondary schools in three districts of Lusaka province, Zambia. Data were collected using a Likert- scale questionnaire called “students’ perceptions of teachers’ enacted PCK” questionnaire. It had a Cronbach’s alpha value of 0.842, indicative of good reliability. Data were collected on six ePCK components: curricular saliency, what makes the subject easy or difficult to understand; conceptual teaching strategies; representations; students’ prior knowledge; and assessment. The findings revealed that the students perceived that their biology teachers’ ePCK was moderate (M=3.61, SD=0.47). While the component ‘students’ prior knowledge’ was the most enacted (M=4.01, SD=0.73), while ‘what makes the subject difficult to understand’ was the least enacted component (M=3.01, SD=0.77). Statistically significant differences were observed in students’ perceptions pertaining to the variables grade level and type of school but not gender. These findings suggest that students’ perceptions of the teachers’ ePCK may highlight areas that teachers may reflect on to improve their PCK and, hence, students’ learning. The implications of these findings on teaching and learning were discussed. The study recommends using students’ perceptions to evaluate teachers’ knowledge and the general teaching-learning process.