Construct Of Pedagogical Content Knowledge Research Articles

Applying Lee Shulman’s Model of Pedagogical Reasoning and Action to Analyze the Transformation of Elementary School Teachers Teaching of Chinese Language Arts

<p>國語教學是奠定學生學習的基礎。然因國語教學內容龐雜，學科知識結構不確定，不易體察教學現場的複雜多變和解決教學問題。因此，本研究以Lee Shulman「教學推理與行動模式」為架構，透過互動取向質性研究方式，觀察四位國小教師經由教學轉化，建構學科教學知識 (Pedagogical Content Knowledge, PCK) 歷程。研究者並以個人實踐知識輔佐教師，藉由分析十二則教學案例，建構深化的「國語教學推理與行動模式」，作為檢核國語教學之工具。研究發現如下：一、國語教學須經「教學前教材轉化」、「教學中教法轉化」、「教學後省思」三階段，具循環遞迴 (recursive) 現象。其中的教學前教材轉化是教學推理與行動核心；教師教學重在「學習者」理解，且須隨時反省及改變策略；最後依據個案教學歷程，建構「國語教學推理與行動模式」。二、教師的學科內容知識、教學知識、學生特性知識是建構PCK的關鍵；實踐知識有助於教學轉化；且教學轉化須植基於教師的基礎知識。三、教師先備知識、專家教師介入，及教材、學校文化因素，對教師教學推理與行動皆有影響。四、國語教學轉化須植基於「課文本位」 (textbook-based)。因此建議教師須增強學科內容知識，透過「國語教學推理與行動模式」檢核教學，提升教學轉化能力，建構學科教學知識。</p> <p> </p><p>Chinese language arts build the foundation where students consolidate their learning, but, due to the complex contents of its teaching and the yet-to-be-discovered structure of subject knowledge, it is not easy to understand the complex and ever-changing nature of such teaching as well as to solve related teaching problems. In light of that, this qualitative research took an interactive approach to identify and understand four elementary school teachers’ teaching transformation and their construction of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) by using Lee Shulman’s Model of Pedagogical Reasoning and Action as the theoretical structure. The researcher also provided assistance to the teachers with personal practice knowledge, coming up with twelve cases of their teaching to further facilitate the understanding of “pedagogical reasoning and action model for Chinese language arts teaching” and to evaluate the teaching of this subject. The research findings are as follows. 1. The teaching of Chinese language arts is recursive among three stages - the pre-teaching transformation of teaching materials, the during-teaching transformation of teaching methods, and the post-teaching reflection-among which the first one is the core of pedagogical reasoning and action. All four teachers have properly implemented their knowledge about the learners and were able to reflect and change their strategies at any time in terms of teaching. A “pedagogical reasoning and action model for Chinese language arts teaching” was established in accordance with these teaching cases. 2. The content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and knowledge of students’ characteristics possessed by a teacher are extremely crucial in regards to the establishment of their PCK. Practice knowledge did help with teaching transformation whereas the teaching transformation must be based upon the teacher’s basic knowledge. 3. Factors, such as prior knowledge of teachers, the intervention of expert teachers, teaching materials, and school culture, did influence the pedagogical reasoning and action of teachers. 4. The transformation of Chinese language arts teaching must be textbook-based. It isherefor suggested that teachers should enhance subject content knowledge, check their teaching through the “pedagogical reasoning and action model for Chinese language arts teaching” to improve their teaching transformation ability, and construct pedagogical content knowledge.</p> <p> </p>

Teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge in Technical Schools: The Case of Domestic Installation and Wiring Teaching

Domestic installation and wiring are still a concern among the secondary central district schools of Johannesburg. Students reach the to Grades 11 and 12 with signs of inadequate knowledge on the domestic installation and wiring concepts taught in 10. This is a qualitative research study involving six electrical technology teachers from schools within the central district of Johannesburg, South Africa. The teachers were purposively selected to take part in the study. The pedagogical content knowledge construct was used as a theoretical framework to underpin the study. Data were collected using face-to-face interviews with the teachers and by observing the classroom when teachers were teaching domestic installation and wiring concepts. Data were analyzed using verbatim quotes for face-to-face interviews and descriptively for classroom observations. Findings of the study revealed that teachers are being negatively affected by lack of resources and of adequate training. The study recommends that more resources be sought so that teachers can fully teach the practical component with ease and confidence. Recurrent refresher training events are also recommended for teachers to keep up with the electrical technology concept.

In-Service and Pre-Service Science Teachers’ Enacted Pedagogical Content Knowledge about the Particulate Nature of Matter

The particulate nature of matter is a fundamental concept in science that students in lower grades find difficult to understand. Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) has been identified as germane for addressing difficult topics and it enhances effective learning. The purpose of this study was to capture the quality of the enacted PCK that practising and pre-service teachers activate during planning. Data were collected through a validated PCK questionnaire which was completed by both practising and pre-service teachers. A rubric was used to code their responses. A Rasch analysis model was used to analyse the five components of the topic-specific PCK construct. Data from an item analysis show that pre-service teachers found the test items to be less difficult than did the practising teachers. We found that there was a statistically significant difference between the two groups of teachers in terms of knowledge activated during planning. These findings show that, in transforming the topic content and concepts of the particulate nature of matter, the pre-service teachers integrated more components of enacted PCK compared to practising teachers. Discussions around the curriculum for both groups of teachers might provide insight into the design of future teacher development programmes.

Examining Pre-service Science Teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge Through Lesson Study

This investigation adjusted the lesson study (LS) model for the initial teacher education aiming to examine its effect in the development of the pre-service teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) namely, both their knowledge and understanding on how to transform a science topic to make it more understandable for the students. The LS topic was the speed of sound that is taught in the 8th grade. The PCK construct was evaluated, as well as and in terms of both PCK-topic specific knowledge and PCK-pedagogical knowledge. The participants on this investigation were three pre-service teachers. The data were collected through video recording of LS sessions. The qualitative data collection was combined with quantitative and qualitative analysis procedures. The results showed that the LS promoted an improvement on pre-service teachers’ PCK as well as in most of the aspects of both PCK-topic specific knowledge and PCK-pedagogical knowledge. PCK’s aspect’ ‘Strategies for pupil self-evaluation’ has not improved satisfactorily. These findings suggest that LS should be carried out during the training programs of the science PSTs.

Identification of Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) for Prospective Chemistry Teachers: Efforts to Build Teachers’ Professional Knowledge

Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) is the basic knowledge that teachers must have to transform subject matter for students. PCK is very influential in research for teacher education, especially in science. Identification of PCK abilities needed as an effort to build teacher professional knowledge through the PCK construct. This study aims to identify the PCK ability of prospective chemistry teachers in each component. This study was descriptive with qualitative and quantitative approaches (mix-method). The instruments used in this study were the lesson plan’s review sheet based on the Magnusson’s framework and the interview sheets validated by two science education experts. The sampling technique was purposive sampling. The subjects of this study were 61 Chemistry Education students in the fourth semester. The identification results show that the PCK ability of prospective chemistry teachers in the components of the knowledge of curriculum, knowledge of students’ understanding of science, and knowledge of assessment is still in the “fair” category with the percentage of mastery of the components respectively 70.96%; 62.70%; 74.67%. Based on the research results, it is necessary to have a professional development program to enhance the PCK ability of prospective chemistry teachers.

Initial teacher education after the Bologna process: possibilities and challenges for a renewed scholarship of teaching and learning

ABSTRACT We present the perspectives of Portuguese pre-service teachers about a formative strategy developed to promote learning about language and literacy education. The strategy was underpinned by theories about the pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), rehearsed (or simulated) agency, the epistemology of reflective practise and assessment for learning. It was implemented during a whole semester, after which pre-service teachers answered to a questionnaire focusing on their perceptions about their learning and the learning experience. The results of the quantitative and qualitative analysis of the collected data reveal positive and critical perceptions about the construction of PCK and agentic identities, evidencing the role of curricular analysis, rehearsed practice, reflection and assessment in the learning process. The final discussion, which highlights the possibilities and challenges of the strategy, aims to contribute to the construction of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning of pre-service teachers after the Bologna Process.

A Conversation with Sandra Abell: Science Teacher Learning

The conversation between Sandra Abell and Patricia Friedrichsen took place at the University of Missouri, U.S., on December 19, 2007. The purpose of this dialogue was to reflect on Dr. Abell's career in science education and her research on science teacher learning. During the conversation, Sandra Abell discussed changes in research in this field, the usefulness of the pedagogical content knowledge construct, as well as directions for future research. The text includes a brief summary of Sandra Abell's career achievements, a list of our conversation topics, the transcript of the audio-taped conversation, as well as a list of Dr. Abell's selected publications.

Discussing Paths Trodden by PCK: an Invitation to Reflection

Some researchers have investigated teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) concerning scientific practices. However, from a review of the literature on the PCK construct and its use for characterising teachers’ knowledge of scientific practices, as well as from a discussion of possible interpretations that emerge from the derived construct PCK of scientific practices, this paper discusses the current complexity of PCK from an analysis of the paths that have been taken in the last few decades. From this, we (i) raise some points and questions aiming at fostering reflections on the use of the PCK construct to characterise teachers’ knowledge related to scientific practices and (ii) emphasise the need to think about alternative models for this purpose. Thus, one of the contributions of this paper is to emphasise the need for further studies aiming at characterising teaching knowledge in domains of scientific practices.

What Did Jenny Need to Know to Do What She Did? Pedagogical Content Knowledge for Mathematics in Action

Building on Shulman’s (1986, 1987) construct of Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK), Ball and colleagues (Ball, Thames & Phelps, 2008) created a model of mathematical knowledge for teaching that differentiates between subject matter knowledge and PCK. The model categorises different types of knowledge within these two domains. In this research Ball et al.’s framework was used to code the knowledge used and connected by a teacher, Jenny, as she taught geometry to her class of 10-11-year-old students over six lessons. The categories of the framework were useful in classifying the knowledge Jenny used though specialised content knowledge was difficult to demark from common content knowledge. There was high connectivity between the Specialised Content Knowledge (SCK), Knowledge of Content and Students (KCS) and Knowledge of Content and Teaching (KCT) Jenny activates. Her responsive teaching style impacted on the nature of the knowledge she needed and on her learning about her students. The article demonstrates that the risk of categorising knowledge, and attempting to measure forms of it, may result in the neglect of the connective and transformative nature of how this knowledge is activated in action.

Reconceptualising PCK research in D&T education: proposing a methodological framework to investigate enacted practice

Since first conceived, the concept of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) has attracted much attention. Despite being lauded by educationalists as the unique knowledge base of teachers, research on the concept over the past 30 years has yet to result in a universally accepted definition being presented. Much of the contentions surrounding the lack of an agreed upon conception appear to have stemmed from difficulties in understanding the relationship between PCK, other areas of teacher knowledge, teacher beliefs, and enacted practice. This paper considers the application of PCK frameworks to design and technology (D&T) education, through an analysis of the nature of the discipline from an ontological and epistemological perspective and contemporary perspectives on the construct of PCK. It is theorised that the volition afforded to teachers in D&T through weakly framed subject boundaries negates the effective application of PCK frameworks, as teachers’ beliefs have a greater impact on enacted practices. In an attempt to better understanding enacted practice in D&T education, the paper proposes a methodological framework centred on the interactions between teachers’ beliefs and knowledge in the discipline, through synthesising the concept of amplifiers and filters of practice with the nature of D&T education. The proposed framework outlines the need to recognise individual teachers’ conception of capability as a critical influence on enacted practice.

Preschool Teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge in Mathematics

The study investigated preschool teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) in mathematics. The construct of PCK for teaching mathematics in preschool involves three components: (1) noticing mathematical situations in which children engage; (2) interpreting the nature of children’s math activity; and (3) enhancing children’s mathematical thinking and understanding. The research participants were 30 preschool teachers from a large city in South Korea. Teachers identified mathematical situations in a children’s play scenario, interpreted the nature of the mathematical situations, and identified how children’s mathematical thinking in the reported situation could be enhanced. The teachers’ responses were quantitatively scored. The results indicate that participants possessed higher levels of PCK about number sense, measurement, and classification than for patterning, operations, shapes, and spatial relationships. Teachers need knowledge to interpret mathematical situations in order to identify ways to enhance children’s mathematical thinking. Teachers with more teaching experience were more likely to have higher scores on the overall PCK measure. Teachers require greater knowledge to recognize specific mathematical concepts in use in children’s play in order to be able to extend and enhance preschool children’s mathematical thinking.

Integration PCK: Modeling the Knowledge(s) Underlying a World Language Teacher's Implementation of CBI

AbstractThis case study enabled researchers to understand the knowledge embedded in a world language teacher's enactment of content‐based instruction (CBI) through the lens of a theoretical model inspired by Shulman's (1987) construct of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). The model, called integration pedagogical content knowledge (I–PCK), represents an adaptation of PCK that explicitly addresses the expanded set of content knowledge that is necessary for teachers to effectively implement CBI. Through descriptions of the participant's knowledge and experiences, the case study documents the I–PCK model in action, highlighting her strengths when integrating both academic content and world language learning and allowing specific areas that were in need of further development to be pinpointed. Findings suggest that the model can inform the work of language teacher education and professional development focused on CBI.

Common Alternative Astronomical Conceptions Encountered in Junior Secondary Science Classes: Why Is This So?

This article investigates students’ conceptions of certain astronomical phenomena. The 1,920 participants were drawn from junior secondary science classes in four Australian educational jurisdictions. Participants completed a modified version of the Astronomy Diagnostic Test to elicit information about their knowledge and understanding of certain astronomical phenomena and to identify any alternative conceptions that they held. Results showed that students exhibited many alternative conceptions about concepts that they should have covered in elementary school or in the first year of high school. Discussion centers on the extent to which school science takes account of the important construct of pedagogical content knowledge.

Conceptualizing and investigating teachers’ knowledge for integrating content and language in content-based instruction

One of the most challenging issues in all types of content-based instruction is teachers’ perceived lack of pedagogical content knowledge necessary for effective content and language integration. This is linked to a lack of adequate provision for teacher preparation in these programs. This article draws on and adapts work from the wider educational field which updates and respecifies the construct of pedagogical content knowledge. This work is used to conceptualize and provide tools for the empirical analysis of the types of knowledge required for content and language integration in the everyday tasks of teaching in content-based instruction programs. Illustrative analyses from one teacher’s practices are presented. It is argued that the combination of a conceptual, heuristic framework and grounded, situated analysis can provide a foundation for a deeper understanding of content and language integration and tools for the organization of teacher education curricula in content-based instruction programs.

The Use of Lesson Study Combined with Content Representation in the Planning of Physics Lessons During Field Practice to Develop Pedagogical Content Knowledge

Recent research, both internationally and in Norway, has clearly expressed concerns about missing connections between subject-matter knowledge, pedagogical competence and real-life practice in schools. This study addresses this problem within the domain of field practice in teacher education, studying pre-service teachers’ planning of a Physics lesson. Two means of intervention were introduced. The first was lesson study, which is a method for planning, carrying out and reflecting on a research lesson in detail with a learner and content-centered focus. This was used in combination with a second means, content representations, which is a systematic tool that connects overall teaching aims with pedagogical prompts. Changes in teaching were assessed through the construct of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). A deductive coding analysis was carried out for this purpose. Transcripts of pre-service teachers’ planning of a Physics lesson were coded into four main PCK categories, which were thereafter divided into 16 PCK sub-categories. The results showed that the intervention affected the pre-service teachers’ potential to start developing PCK. First, they focused much more on categories concerning the learners. Second, they focused far more uniformly in all of the four main categories comprising PCK. Consequently, these differences could affect their potential to start developing PCK.

The Development of Content Knowledge Through Teaching Practice

Research on the unique nature of teachers' subject matter knowledge and how this knowledge interacts with other domains of the knowledge base for teaching has been an extremely productive field of inquiry since the mid 1980's. In particular, Shulman's (1987) construct of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) has been taken up by researchers to describe the subject specific knowledge of teachers in a variety of disciplines. Yet while this concept has been widely applied to describe expert teachers' knowledge, much less research has examined how PCK develops in and through teaching practice. To address this need, the present study examines how one teacher's understanding of a pedagogical genre developed through her first semester of teaching a post-secondary second language (L2) writing class. Drawing on a sociocultural theoretical (SCT) perspective, this study traces the development of a single subject matter concept, points of analysis,as it emerges in teaching activity, is mediated by the teacher's interactions with her students and the researcher, and is eventually incorporated into her knowledge of the analytic essay genre and how to teach it.

O conhecimento do contexto na formação inicial em Educação Física

Ao conhecimento pedagogico do conteudo (CPC) e atribuida a tarefa de transformar o conhecimento do conteudo dos professores em conhecimento ensinavel e compreensivel pelos alunos em distintos contextos de ensino e aprendizagem. Balizado por esse pressuposto, e apoiado nas proposicoes da literatura sobre o conhecimento do contexto e sobre o CPC, este ensaio teorico analisou como os conhecimentos sobre a sala de aula (microcontexto), a escola (mesocontexto) e a comunidade (macrocontexto) incidem na construcao do CPC dos futuros professores e nos cursos de formacao inicial em Educacao Fisica. A literatura e a estrutura dos cursos de formacao em Educacao Fisica sugerem que os conhecimentos sobre os meso e macrocontextos, embora importantes, nao tem participacao significativa na construcao do CPC dos futuros professores. Tal como os estudos analisados, sugere-se que os professores-formadores, durante a formacao inicial, estimulem a reflexao, a sensibilidade e a criticidade dos futuros professores sobre a influencia dos meso e macrocontextos no planejamento, na implementacao e na gestao de suas praticas pedagogicas, na interacao com e na aprendizagem e formacao dos alunos. Alem disso, que os cursos de formacao inicial em Educacao Fisica reconhecam a importância do conhecimento do contexto na construcao do CPC dos futuros professores, o abordem em diferentes disciplinas, sob varios ângulos e por meio de distintas estrategias, e nao apenas tragam alunos em idade escolar para a instituicao de ensino superior, mas levem os futuros professores para dentro das escolas de Educacao Basica desde o inicio do curso. Assim, podem ser ampliadas as possibilidades de construcao e desenvolvimento do conhecimento do contexto e, consequentemente, do CPC dos futuros professores de Educacao Fisica, qualificando sua formacao academica, docente e profissional.

Providing a Set of Research-Based Practices to Support Preservice Teachers’ Long-Term Professional Development as Learners of Science Teaching

The purpose of this research was twofold. The first was to investigate the development of preservice teachers’ knowledge base for science teaching on the rate of reaction topic within the 14-week content representation (CoRe)-based mentoring-enriched practicum course. In this course, CoRe design was used as a form of lesson planning and intensive educative mentoring was provided by teaching assistants. The second purpose was to identify which aspects of the practicum course contributed to preservice teachers’ development. Three preservice chemistry teachers voluntarily participated in the study. Qualitative data sources included CoRe, semistructured interviews, and reflection papers. Both inductive and deductive analyses were applied by triangulating findings from multiple data sources. Results revealed that at the end of the practicum, participants were able to successfully link content with teaching to promote student learning. Their pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) developed with its all components coherently integrated with each other. They also started to view the PCK construct as professional pedagogical knowledge. Educative mentoring with the use of an explicit and shared PCK language supported by CoRes, teaching experiences, and the observation of peers were reported as the most valuable aspects in stimulating teacher development. Implications for teachers’ professional growth and research are discussed.

What is Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK)?

This paper describes a teacher knowledge framework for technology integration called technological pedagogical content knowledge (originally TPCK, now known as TPACK, or technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge). This framework builds on Lee Shulman's (1986, 1987) construct of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) to include technology knowledge. The development of TPACK by teachers is critical to effective teaching with technology. The paper begins with a brief introduction to the complex, ill-structured nature of teaching. The nature of technologies (both analog and digital) is considered, as well as how the inclusion of technology in pedagogy further complicates teaching. The TPACK framework for teacher knowledge is described in detail as a complex interaction among three bodies of knowledge: content, pedagogy, and technology. The interaction of these bodies of knowledge, both theoretically and in practice, produces the types of flexible knowledge needed to successfully integrate technology use into teaching.

Práticas pedagógicas como cenário para a construção do conhecimento pedagógico do conteúdo dos futuros professores de Educação Física

A literatura sugere que o conhecimento pedagogico do conteudo (CPC) dos futuros professores de Educacao Fisica seja construido, entre outras estrategias formativas, por intermedio das praticas pedagogicas (PPs). Neste sentido, este texto buscou refletir sobre o papel desempenhado pelas PPs no sentido da construcao do CPC e pelos professores formadores para implementa-las e geri-las. Tambem verificou as seguintes questoes: a centralidade do CPC e a importância do exercicio da docencia na formacao dos futuros professores; a necessidade de insercao de diferentes PPs na formacao inicial; a funcao das PPs de desvendar a base de conhecimentos dos futuros professores; a relevância da participacao dos professores formadores na intermediacao entre projeto pedagogico do curso, base de conhecimentos dos futuros professores e PPs; e a necessidade de arquitetar os programas de formacao nessa direcao. Esses elementos compoem o cenario das PPs nos programas de formacao inicial de professores de Educacao Fisica e viabilizam a construcao do CPC dos futuros professores.