Development Of Content Knowledge Research Articles

Implementation of the CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) Approach in English Language Learning

This study examines the implementation of the Content and Language Integrated Learning (CLIL) approach in English language education, focusing on its effectiveness in enhancing both language proficiency and content comprehension. CLIL, which combines subject matter with language instruction, provides a dual-focused educational framework that supports the development of academic content knowledge while improving language skills. Key aspects of CLIL highlighted in this research include the integration of content and language, the necessity of teacher training and professional development, and the impact on student engagement and learning outcomes. The findings suggest that while CLIL offers significant benefits, such as increased student motivation and improved language skills, it also presents challenges, particularly related to teacher preparedness and resource development. Addressing these challenges through targeted professional development and appropriate resource allocation is essential for the successful implementation of CLIL. The study concludes that CLIL is a promising approach for enhancing English language learning, provided that its implementation is carefully managed and adequately supported.

An Instructional Design for Maker Education Courses in Teacher Preparation Programs

Maker-based education holds promise as a method to support students’ development of essential skills and content knowledge across the curriculum. Over a five-year period, the authors developed and iterated on an experiential instructional design specifically designed to afford educators with diverse academic backgrounds and divergent career goals not only the opportunity to learn about maker-based teaching and learning but also to experience a maker-based learning environment. This design case begins by outlining the challenges the designers faced. Then, it describes in detail the instructional design and concludes with reflections on the process, which have informed us as a team of designers.

The core competencies of a health education teacher.

Teachers play a crucial role in students' learning and in the development of health literacy. Hence, the aim of this study was to identify the core competencies needed for teachers of health education in supporting student learning. A three-round Delphi study was carried out over an 8-week period, through consultation with 25 Finnish experts in health education. An open-ended question was used to identify the core competencies for school health educators. The data were analysed using inductive content analysis. In subsequent rounds, experts were asked to assess the importance of the identified competencies on a 7-point Likert scale, and finally to rank the most important competencies. In total, 52 competencies were identified and categorized into eight core competence domains. Thereafter, 40 competencies were assessed and selected for the third round, in which the experts ranked the 15 most important competencies, encompassing four core domains, i.e. pedagogic and subject-specific didactic, social and emotional, content knowledge and continuous professional development. Other domains of competence identified in the present study were ethical competence, competence in school health promotion, contextual competence and professional well-being competence. The study defines health education teacher core competencies and domains, and the information can be used in teacher education programmes, for developing teaching and for teachers' self-evaluation.

Pre‐service middle school teachers' specialized content knowledge on sampling variability

AbstractThis study investigates a range of non‐normative ideas that pre‐service teachers (PSTs) employ in reasoning about sampling variability. This issue was studied in the context of a content course on statistics and probability for pre‐service middle grade teachers at a Midwestern American university. Analysis of seven PSTs' video and screen records of task‐based interviews has articulated fundamental facets of sampling variability that have not yet been fully explicated in the literature, especially with middle grade PSTs. With the content expectation of sampling variability for middle grade students as suggested by policy reports in the United States of America, this study is particularly fertile ground for designing curricula that can support middle grade PSTs' development of critical specialized content knowledge on sampling variability.

Empowering hearing‐impaired students: A mobile learning intervention in Israeli Arab elementary education

AbstractThis study evaluates an intervention program that uses mobile learning, designed for Israeli Arab hearing‐impaired elementary school students, focused on language and mathematics. Participants included 23 hearing‐impaired students, 39 teachers, and 46 parents. The evaluation combined quantitative and qualitative methods, using questionnaires, knowledge mapping, observations, individual semi‐structured interviews, and focus group discussions. Findings revealed: (1) integrating mobile learning promoted learning enjoyment of learning, and satisfaction with program implementation; (2) content knowledge development contributed to mathematical knowledge and all language components except grammar; (3) inequality among students persisted since only hearing‐impaired students benefited from the program, leading to another kind of inequality; (4) teachers coped with various challenges: lack of technological skills, need for differential teaching for different populations in the classroom, and general lack of attention in the classroom when using apps with audible instructions and (5) parents have vital role in implementing new learning approaches for special needs students.

Molecular storytelling: a conceptual framework for teaching and learning with molecular case studies

Molecular case studies (MCSs) provide educational opportunities to explore biomolecular structure and function using data from public bioinformatics resources. The conceptual basis for the design of MCSs has yet to be fully discussed in the literature, so we present molecular storytelling as a conceptual framework for teaching with case studies. Whether the case study aims to understand the biology of a specific disease and design its treatments or track the evolution of a biosynthetic pathway, vast amounts of structural and functional data, freely available in public bioinformatics resources, can facilitate rich explorations in atomic detail. To help biology and chemistry educators use these resources for instruction, a community of scholars collaborated to create the Molecular CaseNet. This community uses storytelling to explore biomolecular structure and function while teaching biology and chemistry. In this article, we define the structure of an MCS and present an example. Then, we articulate the evolution of a conceptual framework for developing and using MCSs. Finally, we related our framework to the development of technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge (TPCK) for educators in the Molecular CaseNet. The report conceptualizes an interdisciplinary framework for teaching about the molecular world and informs lesson design and education research.

Exploring history teachers’ understanding of the role of professional learning communities in enhancing curriculum implementation

The present study examined the understanding of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) among history teachers in South Africa. The research focused on a sample of 10 teachers from five schools in the UMgungundlovu District in KwaZulu-Natal. Drawing on the theoretical framework of Community of Practice (CoP) and adopting a qualitative approach, the study employed a case study design and utilised both semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions to generate data. The generated data were thematically analysed using Braun and Clarke's six septs of thematic analysis. The findings indicate that history teachers perceived PLCs as academic groups that fostered the development of historical content knowledge, new teaching approaches, and relevant assessment techniques through collaboration, engagement and the sharing of professional insights. It was also revealed that history teachers employed various strategies within PLCs, such as lesson study, workshops, seminars, and the integration of information and communication technology (ICT), to enhance the implementation of the history curriculum. The study recommends that school principals, with guidance from the Department of Education, take the lead in establishing Subject-Specific Professional Learning Communities (SSPLCs) to fully leverage the potential benefits of PLCs across all subjects in the school curriculum. Furthermore, it is suggested that some history teachers may require additional training in digital skills to effectively participate in virtual PLC activities. By contributing to the existing body of knowledge, this study advances the understanding of the best practices for using PLCs to improve school effectiveness and efficiency.

Development and Application of a Domain-Specific TPACK Questionnaire—Findings from a Longitudinal Study on Teaching Human Biology Using Digital Tools

There are several specific digital tools now that have transformed the way science is taught. Correspondingly, teacher education programs have changed, and now they increasingly address the development of technology-related professional content knowledge (TPACK). Owing to the use of technology in specific domains of science teaching, there is an emergent need for domain-specific TPACK questionnaires. The present study investigates the development and application of a domain-specific TPACK questionnaire for teaching human biology using digital tools in a university-based teacher education program. A quasi-experimental between-subject design was applied for 13 weeks in the four study groups (n = 155). The intervention groups worked with digital tools in human biology, while the control groups participated without specific consideration of digital tools throughout the program. We succeeded in developing a questionnaire comprising seven reliable scales. The questionnaire development procedure described herein may be applicable to other science education disciplines. By the means of linear mixed modeling, we found that all students gained professional knowledge; however, treatment × time interactions revealed that belonging to the intervention group was the main driver of TPACK progression. Comparing the treatments, we found that at post-test, the intervention group reported higher levels of TPCK, TPK, and TCK, but not CK, PK, TK, and PCK. Sequential analyses of the longitudinal data highlighted that working with digital tools on a regular basis constitutes a TPACK boost effect. This study contributes to the literature on technology integration from the perspective of biology education, where specific tools that can be assessed using a domain-specific questionnaire are used.

Learning by design: Enhancing online collaboration in developing pre‐service TESOL teachers' TPACK for teaching with corpus technology

AbstractIn this study, we integrated corpus technology in pre‐service TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) teachers' technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) development in corpus technology, termed corpus‐based language pedagogy (CBLP), and highlighted the collaborative effort for knowledge building among participants for TPACK development. The study examined the role of online collaboration in facilitating how pre‐service TESOL teachers developed their CBLP (TPACK in corpus technology) using a learning‐by‐design approach, enacted it in co‐designing lessons, revised their lessons and reflected on their collective knowledge building processes. Using a case study approach involving 33 participants, the study focused on both intra‐ and inter‐group interactions to understand the pre‐service teachers' learning dynamics/changes and unpack the interaction mechanism involved in online collaborative learning. To these ends, we collected data including CBLP group lesson designs, intra‐group data (interviews) and inter‐group peer critical comments and analysed them based on the two stages (comprehension and transformation) of Shulman's pedagogical reasoning. The results suggest that engaging in online collaboration, facilitated by the learning‐by‐design approach, is instrumental in enabling pre‐service teachers to learn corpus technology and expand their repertoire of teaching strategies. Our findings imply that both intra‐ and inter‐group collaboration modes are important to help pre‐service TESOL teachers holistically develop TPACK for language teaching. Similar implications may be applied to other subject‐specific TPACK training.Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Teacher preparation programmes play a crucial role in developing pre‐service teachers' technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge (TPACK) TPACK integration into pedagogical practice and subject‐specific professional development opportunities are important for effective teaching, but there is a lack of research on subject‐specific TPACK development (eg, TPACK in language teaching) Online collaborative learning can support TPACK development, but most studies focused on intra‐group interactions with little attention to inter‐group interactions What this paper adds Introduces a new corpus‐based language pedagogy (CBLP) for TESOL teachers to help them develop TPACK in language teaching Presents an innovative two‐step training framework for developing TESOL teachers' TPACK in corpus technology Examines the role of online collaboration in developing pre‐service TESOL teachers' TPACK for teaching with corpus technology through learning by design Provides in‐depth qualitative data analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively to investigate the specific roles that intra‐group and inter‐group interactions play in shaping pre‐service TESOL teachers' CBLP development Develops an analytical framework comprising nine categories (under the comprehension and transformation stages of Shulman's pedagogical reasoning model) to code pre‐service TESOL teachers' TPACK development in corpus technology Finds that intra‐group interactions facilitate both comprehension and transformation stages, while inter‐group interactions predominantly facilitate the transformation stage of CBLP Implications for practice Emphasises hands‐on corpus‐searching skills and guidance on browsing corpora when designing CBLP lessons Encourages both within‐group and between‐group interactions in online collaborative learning to foster TPACK development for using corpus technology in teaching language subjects Considers incorporating similar approaches for developing other subject‐specific TPACK for other teaching subjects

Enhancing Sustainability Teaching Competence in Preschool Teacher Education Using Living Labs

Developing sustainability competences is an important endeavor for education, as competence development can be complex and requires appropriate approaches. In the case of preparing future educators, this becomes even more important, because of their multiplier role. The current study presents how a project, based on the living-lab methodology, helped preservice preschool teachers attending a course on sustainability issues develop sustainability-specific professional action competence. Students collaborated with an organization and a school and were trained to deliver, to 6-year-old pupils, activities concerning the protection of sea turtles. The process included reflection based on a given template. After the intervention, the preservice preschool teachers reflected upon their role and professional performance and discussed how they benefited from this project. They further analyzed, through a group interview, how the living-lab methodology raised their professional confidence and self-efficacy and helped them develop content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, and a sense of purpose and motivation for teaching about sustainability. Outcomes indicate that participants felt confident and efficacious to teach about sustainability and developed their content knowledge, pedagogy content knowledge, motivation, and volition due to a strong sense of purpose and responsibility. The overall process facilitated the development of critical thinking, systemic thinking, reflection, and collaboration.

Strategies and difficulties during students’ construction of data visualizations

BackgroundData visualizations transform data into visual representations such as graphs, diagrams, charts and so forth, and enable inquiries and decision-making in many professional fields, as well as in public and economic areas. How students’ data visualization literacy (DVL), including constructing, comprehending, and utilizing adequate data visualizations, can be developed is gaining increasing attention in STEM education. As fundamental steps, the purpose of this study was to understand common student difficulties and useful strategies during the process of constructing data visualization so that suggestions and principles can be made for the design of curricula and interventions to develop students’ DVL.MethodsThis study engaged 57 college and high school students in constructing data visualizations relating to the topic of air quality for a decision-making task. The students’ difficulties and strategies demonstrated during the process of data visualization were analyzed using multiple collected data sources including the students’ think-aloud transcripts, retrospective interview transcripts, and process videos that captured their actions with the data visualization tool. Qualitative coding was conducted to identify the students’ difficulties and strategies. Epistemic network analysis (ENA) was employed to generate network models revealing how the difficulties and strategies co-occurred, and how the college and high school students differed.ResultsSix types of student difficulties and seven types of strategies were identified. The strategies were further categorized into non-, basic- and high-level metavisual strategies. About three-quarters of the participants employed basic or high-level metavisual strategies to overcome the technological and content difficulties. The high school students demonstrated a greater need to develop content knowledge and representation skills, whereas the college students needed more support to know how to simplify data to construct the best data visualizations.Conclusions and implicationsThe study specified metacognition needed for data visualization, which builds on and extends the cognitive model of drawing construction (CMDC) and theoretical perspectives of metavisualization. The results have implications for developing students’ data visualization literacy in STEM education by considering the difficulties and trajectories of metacognitive strategy development, and by addressing the different patterns and needs demonstrated by the college and high school students.

Developing Pre-Service Biology Teachers’ Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge through a TPACK-Based Course

<p style="text-align:justify">This study investigated pre-service biology teachers' (PSBTs’) technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) development. A TPACK-based technology integration course (TPACK-BTIC) was implemented. The study employed a convergent parallel mixed-methods approach. A TPACK survey questionnaire and interview schedule were used to collect data from 50 PSBTs. The quantitative data were analysed by computing means, standard deviations, and dependent samples t-tests, while qualitative data were analysed using deductive thematic analysis based on the TPACK domains. Findings indicate that the intervention positively affected PSBTs’ TPACK development with significant improvements in technological knowledge (TK), technological pedagogical knowledge (TPK), technological content knowledge (TCK) and overall technological pedagogical content knowledge domains. In contrast, pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and pedagogical knowledge domains showed no statistically significant improvements. PSBTs’ engagement in microteaching lesson study, reflection on using technology, and collaboratively designing lesson plans improved PSBTs’ TPACK domains. The study recommends that teacher training institutions consider implementing content-based technology integration courses that engage pre-service teachers in microteaching lesson study, reflecting on technology use and collaborative designing of curriculum materials that involve using technology to support their TPACK development.</p>

Development and Validation of Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge – Action Research in Teaching Science Instrument

This article describes the development and validation of Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge – Action Research in Teaching Science (TPACK-ARTS) Instruments. This instrument measures pre-service science teachers’ perception of action research and TPACK. The development and validation underwent three phases: instrument design, content validation, and construct validation. The items in the instrument were designed based on literature, and nine experts examined the appropriateness of the items in the instrument. The data from the expert validation was analyzed using Lawshe’s Content Validity Ration (CVR) method. The result suggested content validity. Exploratory factor analysis (N = 107) using principal component analysis and Varimax with Kaiser Normalization rotation generates three factors. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the three-factor model satisfies all the eligibility criteria for fit indices, showing evidence of construct validity. Furthermore, reliability analysis using the composite reliability, average variance extracted, standardized factor loadings

The Impact of Cl4STEM Online Community of Practice on Science and Mathematics Teachers’ Knowledge and Professional Development in Nigeria

Connected Learning for STEM (CL4STEM) is an innovative teacher capacity-building project piloted in Nigeria. It aimed at science, technology, engineering, and mathematics teachers’ capacity building to foster higher-order thinking with inclusion and equity (HOTIE) in their classroom practices. It adopted a model of mobile-based communities of practice (CoP) as one of the strategies for CL4STEM teacher professional development. Hence, this study investigated the impact of the CL4STEM project online CoP on science and mathematics teachers’ subject matter knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, and professional practice for achieving HOTIE in their classrooms. The study adopted a survey research design involving documentary content analysis and a one-group pre-test-posttest design to collect qualitative and quantitative data to achieve the objectives of the research. The population of the study was all science; biology, chemistry, and physics teachers in senior secondary schools in selected states in Northern Nigeria. Purposive sampling was used to select one newly qualified biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics teacher per subject area from twenty sample schools in the population, thus a target sample size of 80 science and mathematics teachers, 20 each per subject. Content analysis of the module reports and evaluation of lesson plans were used to obtain qualitative data on the science and mathematics teachers’ CoP practices and professional learning. The Pre-test and post-test on the teachers’ subject matter knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge were the instruments for quantitative data collection. The instruments were validated by the project consultant and science and mathematics education experts. Four research objectives and four corresponding research questions guided the study. Descriptive statistics, descriptive content analysis, and descriptive narrative were used to analyze the data. The study revealed that online CoP has remarkably impacted teachers’ subject matter and pedagogical content knowledge and professional development.

Learning-by-doing in a professional learning community: technological pedagogical and content knowledge development of Hong Kong university teaching staff

Learning-by-doing in a professional learning community: technological pedagogical and content knowledge development of Hong Kong university teaching staff

Instructional Leadership and its Relation to Art Teachers’ Pedagogical Practices and Content Knowledge of Art Education

This paper studies the relationship between teaching leaders, art teachers' teaching practice and art education content knowledge. Teaching leaders play an important role in school education, which has an important influence on teachers' teaching practice and the development of educational content knowledge. First of all, this paper analyzes the relationship between teaching leaders and art teachers' teaching practice and art education content knowledge from the theoretical level. Teaching leaders can provide good teaching environment and resource support, stimulate teachers' teaching enthusiasm and innovative ability, and promote the development of teachers' teaching practice and educational content knowledge. Secondly, the practical relationship between teaching leaders and art teachers' teaching practice and art education content knowledge is discussed. The support and guidance of teaching leaders has a significant positive impact on the teaching practice of art teachers and the development of educational content knowledge. Finally, this paper puts forward some suggestions for improving the teaching leaders' knowledge of art teachers' teaching practice and art education content. Including strengthening the training and professional development of teaching leaders, providing more teaching resources and support, and establishing a good teaching evaluation mechanism. Through the research of this paper, we can better understand the relationship between teaching leaders and art teachers' teaching practice and art education content knowledge, and provide theoretical and practical guidance for improving teaching quality and education level.

Collective pedagogical content knowledge for teaching sustainable development

It is vital that upper secondary students gain a rich and deep knowledge of sustainability issues, as they will enter adulthood and working life within a short time. The students belong to a generation that will be intensely involved in managing several environmental issues to achieve sustainable development for our Earth. However, earlier research indicates that many teachers have a low self-efficacy for teaching sustainability issues. This study aimed to explore how science teacher teams in Swedish upper secondary schools can develop their knowledge and expertise in sustainable development (SD) through collective reflections with the support of the reflective tool Content Representation (CoRe). Science teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) development in teaching SD was examined. Twelve in-service science teachers participated in the study. The qualitative research design included semi-structured interviews and science teacher teams’ collective meetings. The findings covered four themes about how the collective reflections with support of the CoRe tool stimulated teachers’ PCK development: (1) creating structure and a focus for learning conversations, (2) modification of the teaching approach, (3) development of new content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge in SD, and (4) shared language to stimulate equal opportunities for students to learn SD. The conclusion is that with the support of CoRe, the teacher team’s collective PCK in SD was developed; therefore, we recommend that decision-makers within the school system organize regular meetings in science teacher teams and introduce CoRe to the teachers.

Systematic Review of Research Conducted on the Techno-Pedagogical Content Knowledge of English Teachers

This study is a systematic review of research on the databases of Web of Science, and Springer between the years 2012 and 2022 on the subject of the development of English teacher techno-pedagogical content knowledge. For the study group, the key concepts “the English teachers’ technological pedagogical knowledge”, “English teacher & technology”, “EFL & technology”, “ESL & technology”, “TPACK (technological pedagogical content knowledge)”, “English teaching & technology” were used to search on databases. The study group was formed with a total of 36 articles. In data analysis, Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) was used from topic modeling methods. As a result of LDA, four topics were created: “teachers’ self-efficacy in technology integration”, “instructional challenges in higher education institutions”, “pre-service teachers' approaches to the implementations of information and communication technologies” and “teachers' professional development in Teaching English as a Foreign Language”. Accordingly, the need for TPACK for English teachers and teaching English, technology-based transformation and opportunities in English curriculums caused by TPACK, differences in teaching principles and methods of English brought out by TPACK, diversification of technology of teaching and materials, including TPACK in pre-service and in-service professional development curriculum, other qualifications of teachers such as thinking skills are some distinctive trends.

Propuesta de modelo de planeación didáctica para la enseñanza de la química a partir del CDC.

This research aims to understand and interpret the conceptual development of didactic content knowledge (CDC) and its importance in didactic planning and the use of scientific thinking skills in teaching chemistry. The main objective is to design a didactic planning model based on CDC for chemistry teachers that facilitates the teaching of scientific thinking skills. It highlights the importance of understanding and reflecting on the CDC of teachers to strengthen the teaching process, especially scientific literacy. To develop this research, the multiple case study was used with three public school teachers in Bogotá. As the same way, The Nvivo 11 software was used for the management of qualitative data. which results indicate that teachers have strengths in the content and articulation of psychopedagogical and contextual knowledge, but they have weaknesses in the expression and management of epistemological and historical aspects of chemical concepts. The importance of scientific thinking skills was identified as an emerging category that mobilizes other skills in the planning and teaching process. Based on the above, it is concluded that teaching chemistry is not limited to presenting content, but rather it is the CDC, an integrating element, capable of mainstreaming the process that is carried out during the exercises of transposition and scientific literacy in the classroom. However, the identification of the CDC categories is delegitimized when they are not integrated or reflected, therefore, it is their use and identification that leads to the design of the classes and didactic creations that manage to transcend those that teachers and students live every day and that will finally achieve the change in the customs of science teaching.

Course quality in higher education teacher training: What matters for pre-service physics teachers’ content knowledge development?

This study examines the impact of course quality on pre-service physics teachers’ content knowledge (CK) development. Teachers’ CK is one prerequisite to effective teaching. To support teachers in developing CK, the quality of higher education content courses plays a major role. Yet, models of course quality for higher education vary in their dimensions and it is hence not clear how course quality is best conceptualized. To address this issue, we analyzed data from N = 107 pre-service physics teachers’ CK over one year. We used confirmatory factor analysis to determine the number and nature of dimensions for course quality. Next, we used path models to investigate the impact on CK development. Our results show that a four-dimensional model described CK course quality best and that the cognitive support dimension in particular supports CK development. This highlights the importance of focusing on cognitive support for improving pre-service physics teachers’ CK development.