General Pedagogical Knowledge Research Articles

The development of pre-service teachers’ competence to teach mental calculation strategies

Background: There is a concern in South Africa that pre-service teachers do not have the required knowledge to teach mathematics in primary school and to develop learners’ number sense. In this study, pre-service teachers taught the mental strategy of bridging through ten through a structured teaching sequence from the Mental Starters Assessment Project (MSAP) materials as a work-integrated learning opportunity.Aim: We ask the question: How do the MSAP materials support pre-service teachers in competently teaching mental mathematics?Setting: Thirty-eight Bachelor of Education (Foundation Phase) third-year preservice teachers from an Eastern Cape university participated in this study.Methods: Participants taught the strategy during their Teaching Practice, quantitatively analysed the results of their classes and reflected on the experience in a questionnaire and focus group interviews.Results: Results indicate that the teachers were relatively successful in their teaching of the strategy; however, all indicated that they taught the sequence for a more extended period than recommended. Qualitative responses provide evidence of the teachers’ development in their knowledge of learners and their characteristics, general pedagogical knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge and knowledge of educational contexts.Conclusion: This study offers evidence of the professional learning of pre-service teachers that resulted from taking an integrated approach to facilitating a mathematics teaching methodology course through requiring a work-integrated learning component.Contribution: We argue that such an approach is necessary for pre-service teachers to be adequately prepared for the challenges of teaching mathematics in the South African classroom.

Cultivating Action Research Culture among Teachers

This study determines the intricate relationship between action research culture and its effect on the professional development among teachers in Opol District, Division of Misamis Oriental. Five significant goals were addressed in this study by profiling respondents’ characteristics, defining the research culture among teachers in terms of funding, infrastructure, interest, research capability, and research collaboration, evaluating the teachers' professional development based on curriculum, general pedagogical knowledge, field of knowledge, pedagogy, and teaching methodologies, examining the significant relationship between teachers' research culture and their professional development, evaluating the significant relationship between the research culture, professional development, and respondents’ characteristics. This study used a survey questionnaire on all public elementary and secondary school teachers during the School Year 2023–2024. The participants were 200 teachers: 117 were elementary, and 83 were junior and senior high school teachers. Slovin's Formula was used to get the sample size. Data were analyzed using statistical tools such as Pearson r correlation, mean scores, frequency and percentage, and standard deviation. Significantly, relationships exist between research culture and professional development. It was manifested that the respondents’ years of teaching and highest educational attainment showed a significant relationship between their level of research culture and professional development. Ultimately, despite the teachers being competent in cultivating research culture and also referred to as experts in professional development, it is recommended that Values Education as one of the areas of specialization be improved, funding for research resources be allocated, opportunities for ongoing professional development be offered, reskill and upskill teachers in line with current curriculum updates and a research culture be fostered utilizing mentorship and workshops.

The General Pedagogical Knowledge Underpinning Early Childhood Education Teachers' Classroom Behaviors Who Teach English as a Foreign Language in Chinese Kindergartens.

There is limited understanding of the general pedagogical knowledge (GPK) of early childhood education (ECE) teachers who teach English as a foreign language (EFL). This study therefore explored GPK categories and subcategories in six Chinese ECE EFL teachers using stimulated recall classroom observation. The deductive and inductive data analysis revealed that GPK consists of four categories and ten subcategories. The four knowledge categories were child development, the objectives and content of teaching, the act of teaching, and classroom management. Additionally, the study found that the novice teachers had similarities with the experienced teachers in number and type of GPK. The study also found differences: the subcategory how to use child-appropriate instructional methods was top for the experienced teachers, but not for the novice teachers; the novice teachers mentioned classroom management more than the experienced teachers; the novice teachers showed a negative tendency toward the act of teaching, while the experienced teachers were positive. The implications are discussed.

How does pre-service teachers’ general pedagogical knowledge develop during university teacher education? Examining the impact of learning opportunities and entry characteristics over five time points using longitudinal models

ABSTRACT General pedagogical knowledge (GPK) is regarded as a central component of the competence that teachers acquire during university teacher education. However, existing research on GPK typically uses only one or two measurement points to assess development and identify influencing factors. The present study draws on an annual survey of pre-service teachers’ GPK over 5 measurement points during the course of university teacher education (i.e. over the standard five-year study period). Latent growth curve models were used to assess knowledge development and explore potential influences. Knowledge development was best described as an increasing trend that flattens out over time. While students’ initial knowledge levels differed, their knowledge increase showed little interindividual variance. Initial knowledge level was related to the use of learning opportunities at the beginning of the study programme, but no significant association was identified between knowledge growth and increased learning opportunities over time. Moreover, initial knowledge level was predicted by the grade point average achieved in secondary school examinations but not by intrinsic motivation. Overall, the findings indicate that university teacher education effectively promotes GPK, with the entry phase being of particular significance.

Bridging domains: examining the effects of relevance instructions and guiding questions on pre-service teachers’ first- and second-order knowledge integration

The conceptualization of pre-service teachers’ knowledge integration typically involves the distinction of two types: first-order knowledge integration, which includes merging domain-specific knowledge entities into a common knowledge base, and second-order knowledge integration, which refers to the integrated (simultaneous) application of knowledge from diverse domains. This study investigates the effect of instructional prompts in the form of (a) relevance instructions and (b) guiding questions on promoting pre-service teachers’ first-order knowledge integration in a reading- and writing-based learning setting with three domain-specific study texts: one text each referring to content knowledge (CK), general pedagogical knowledge (PK), or pedagogical-content knowledge (PCK). Furthermore, the study explores whether pre-service teachers’ second-order knowledge integration depends on the degree to which they engaged in first-order knowledge integration when reading and writing about different domain-specific learning contents. The study applied a three parallel group experimental design. An analysis of essays written by N = 83 German language pre-service teachers indicated positive effects of both prompts on first-order knowledge integration. Moreover, a mediation analysis showed that pre-service teachers’ second-order knowledge integration is mediated by their first-order knowledge integration. The results are discussed and integrated into the existing body of research, practical implications are presented, and limitations of the study are explained.

Discontinued knowledge growth: on the development of teachers’ general pedagogical knowledge at the transition from higher education into teaching practice

ABSTRACT In spite of a prominent discussion in the literature about the relationship between theory and practice in teacher education there is a lack of empirical research examining the effects on teachers’ development of professional knowledge after graduating from higher education into teaching practice. This study uses a database of 191 German and Austrian teachers whose general pedagogical knowledge (GPK) was tested at four time points to cover their teaching career from entering into initial teacher education through graduation until entering the teaching profession. In both country contexts, teachers acquire knowledge during their initial teacher education, indicating the impact of formal opportunities to learn (OTL) during higher education. However, the knowledge growth discontinues at the transition from academic learning in higher education institutions into teaching practice at school. Teachers with high school grade point average (GPA) are significantly less affected, which reflects the relevance of future teachers’ cognitive entrance characteristics to higher education.

Mathematics teachers’ perceptions on general pedagogical knowledge for teaching pre-engineering students

This study sought to investigate university mathematics teachers’ perceptions on their general pedagogical knowledge (GPK) while teaching an applied mathematics course tailored for pre-engineering students at a public university in Ethiopia. Using a case study approach, data were collected through a Likert-scale questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. Five mathematics teachers were selected using purposive sampling to investigate into their perceptions about their capabilities and the teaching methodologies they used. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS statistics 22, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically. Teachers exhibited diverse levels of GPK. On average, the study revealed that the teachers held a positive self-assessment of their GPK. While some teachers were assured of their skills, others felt they needed more professional development in this domain. The findings of the study suggest that teachers’ perceptions on GPK are pivotal for understanding the professional development requirements of mathematics teachers, thereby guiding endeavors to enhance undergraduate mathematics instruction.

Measuring pre-service teachers’ decision-making in classroom management: A video-based assessment approach

This study presents a video-based test instrument entitled CME-Decide that focuses on pre-service teachers' decision-making skills as part of their Classroom Management Expertise. A sample of 284 pre-service teachers viewed 12 short video clips of instructional practice and indicated after each how they would behave in this situation. Correlation and regression analyses revealed that the CME-Decide test was associated with perception/interpretation skills in classroom management, general pedagogical knowledge, teaching enthusiasm, and school-based learning opportunities but not with university-based learning opportunities in general pedagogy. These findings suggest that the CME-Decide test is appropriate for assessing pre-service teachers’ competence development.

Preservice teachers' professional knowledge for ICT integration in the classroom: Analysing its structure and its link to teacher education

As digitalisation is becoming increasingly important in educational settings, teachers' key competencies – in particular, their professional knowledge regarding the integration of information and communication technology (ICT) in the classroom – warrant targeted development. Aside from their general pedagogical knowledge (GPK), teachers’ technological pedagogical knowledge (TPK) and technological knowledge (TK) are becoming increasingly necessary for mastering professional teaching-related tasks (as outlined in the well-known technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) model). To date, however, the question of whether these knowledge facets are discrete or interrelated – at least, on the basis of standardised assessments – has remained largely unanswered. In the present study, therefore, a sample of 619 preservice teachers (320 bachelor’s and 299 master’s students in their second semesters) were considered via an online survey with three different knowledge tests. In this article, we investigate hypotheses concerning the structures of those knowledge facets and further hypothesise that initial teacher education learning opportunities relate to preservice teachers’ GPK, TPK, and TK. Our findings reveal that the three knowledge facets can be empirically separated. Master’s students outperform bachelor’s students in all three tests, however, with effects varying from strong (GPK) to medium (TPK, TK). As expected, pedagogical learning opportunities – surveyed through students’ self-reports – directly correlate with GPK. By contrast, technological pedagogical and technological learning opportunities are not correlated with TPK and TK, respectively. We discuss the findings’ implications for future initial teacher education design – in particular, the evident need to update the curriculum to meet the needs of the current era of digitalisation.

Teaching programming and computational thinking in early childhood education: a case study of content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge.

Programming and computational thinking (CT) have been progressively incorporated into early childhood education to prepare children for the digital age. However, little is known about the content knowledge (CK) and pedagogical knowledge (PK) possessed by early childhood teachers in this domain. To address this gap, we conducted a case study of an early childhood teacher in China who had experience developing and implementing an unplugged programming and CT curriculum. The triangulation of data sources was established to collect evidence from videotaped observations, interviews, and lesson plans. For the CK, analysis of these findings revealed that the teacher had a more robust understanding of CT concepts (e.g., sequences, conditionals, and loops) compared to CT practices (e.g., decomposition, debugging) and CT perspectives (e.g., perseverance, choices of conduct). In terms of PK, the teacher could apply the general pedagogical knowledge but was relatively weak in using content-specific pedagogical knowledge. As the first endeavor to investigate an early childhood teacher's CK and PK in teaching programming and CT, this study provides significant implications for improving teachers' professional knowledge and teaching effectiveness in this burgeoning area.

Observing effective classroom management in early instruction in primary school: rating instrument construction and its link to teacher knowledge

This study presents a novel standardized rating instrument for observing and measuring effective classroom management (ECM) as part of the teaching and learning environments in primary school. The instrument comprises eight high-inferent items on organizational aspects (lack of disruptions/discipline problems, withitness, effective time use, clear rules, clear routines, appreciation) and instructional aspects (structuring, goal clarity). It was applied in second grade classrooms of German primary school teachers (n = 35) providing early reading and writing instruction. Pairs of trained raters (student teachers) observed one to three lessons in each classroom over 3–4 months, reaching acceptable interrater agreement. The instrument showed acceptable internal consistency. Factor analyses revealed structures with good to acceptable fit indices, with confirming the differentiation into organizational and instructional ECM aspects. Correlations between observed ECM and facets of teacher knowledge (that were directly assessed by using paper–pencil tests) provide divergent and convergent validity evidence: Whereas no significant correlations could be found between pedagogical content knowledge for early reading and writing instruction and ECM, findings show significant correlations between general pedagogical knowledge and the ECM. The added value of the study is therefore to provide a novel instrument that can be applied in future empirical research on primary school classroom management.

Mesleğe Yeni Başlayan Türkçe Öğretmenlerinin Karşılaştığı Sorunlar: Öğretmen Eğitimi Programı Temelinde Bir İncelenme

The aim of this study was to examine the problems faced by Turkish teachers who have recently entered the profession, based on the teacher education program. For this purpose, the types of knowledge needed by Turkish teachers and the problem areas that these point to in the teacher education program were examined. In the study, a basic qualitative research design was adopted and criterion sampling was used to select the study group. Qualitative data obtained through interviews with nine teachers who graduated from six different universities were analyzed using descriptive analysis. The findings showed that the types of knowledge that the participants needed following their professional experiences and the evaluations they made of the teacher education programs on this basis pointed to five problem areas. These are the identity problem, content problem, learner problem, teaching problem and context problem. The types of knowledge needed by teachers are self-knowledge, content knowledge, general pedagogical knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, and context knowledge, respectively. Participants stated that the education they received during their undergraduate education did not match the content they used in their professional lives, and that while they should have carried out studies focused on improving their language skills in the classroom environment, they took literature and theoretical courses during their undergraduate education. Participants also stated that due to their shortcomings in teaching language skills, they gave priority to teaching grammar in their lessons and tried to fill the gap they experienced in teaching skills with grammar teaching. Furthermore, it was observed that the participants were also in need of knowledge and skills related to teacher training in subjects such as communication with other stakeholders at school, knowledge of regulations, and communication with administrators and parents.

Analysis of supervisor’s written feedback addressing pre-service science teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge during teaching practice

The feedback received during teaching practice (TP) has a lasting impact on pre-service teachers’ teaching knowledge and practice among the learning experiences of the teacher education program. This study analyzed written feedbacks offered by supervisors to pre-service science teachers (PSTs) (biology, chemistry, physics, health education, and mathematics) during TP observation generally, but with particular attention to those addressing pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). The study adopted a phenomenological design of qualitative research and written feedback in 40 PSTs’ lesson notes were analyzed using deductive thematic analysis. Apart from the few written feedback related to PCK, some were not specifying the teaching knowledge or practice they intend to correct or affirm. Majority of the written feedback addressed general pedagogical knowledge. The written feedback related to PCK was more generic to the science discipline than topic-specific. Conceptual teaching strategies and representation were the components of PCK addressed in the feedback. Based on the findings, it was recommended that the college supervisor should avoid offering feedback that specifies no direction of improvement during the supervision of PSTs during practicum.

Accommodation and Modification in the Individual Education Plan of Secondary Schools in Selangor, Malaysia

The Individual Education Plan (IEP) is a written document designed for each Student with Special Education Needs (SEN) in channeling special education services that suit their level of ability. Integrated Special Education Teachers play an important role in planning appropriate special education services for MBPK through the writing of quality IEPs based on the content of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). This study was conducted to examine the level of knowledge of Integrated Special Education Teachers in developing a quality IEP based on 2 main components, namely 1) information about MBPK and 2) accommodation and modifications for Student with SEN. The design of this study is a quantitative study in which the study sample consists of 112 Integrated Special Education Teachers in the category of secondary school learning problems who teach in 14 schools in Hulu Langat district, Selangor. The Q-IEP instrument, which is a questionnaire with a 3-point Likert scale for 3 sections with 20 closed-ended question items, has been descriptively analyzed using the software Statistic Package For Social Science (SPSS) version 26. The findings of the study show that the quality of IEP writing is still at a worrying level because The information component about IEP is written incompletely. While the level of knowledge for general pedagogical knowledge is also at a moderate level regarding the accommodation and modification components. Nevertheless, the construction of instruments such as checklists, procedures and IEP production modules as well as training and courses are among the suggestions put forward to help Integrated Special Education Teachers improve their knowledge in IEP.

Pedagogical Content Knowledge Analysis of Mathematics Teachers in Developing Lesson Plans on Ratio Topic

In preparing a Lesson Plan, a mathematics teacher should pay attention to pedagogical principles, including general and mathematical pedagogy. Teacher knowledge related to these two pedagogies is called Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK). This study aims to analyze the PCK of a mathematics teacher at a junior high school in Kebumen when preparing lesson plans and carrying out learning activities on Ratio Topics. This study used a qualitative research method with a case study design. The teacher’s PCK analyzed in this study was divided into two parts: general pedagogical knowledge and mathematical pedagogical knowledge. The results showed teachers' general pedagogical knowledge when learning was more complete than when compiling lesson plans. Likewise, in mathematical pedagogy, the teacher's mathematical pedagogy knowledge when carrying out education is better than when compiling lesson plans. This also indicates a mismatch between the lesson plans compiled by the teacher and the learning activities he carried out. Therefore, in compiling lesson plans, teachers are advised to pour all pedagogical content knowledge that they have so that the lesson plans are by the learning activities carried out by the teacher so that the entire learning process can be carried out more optimally.

Opportunities to learn, technological pedagogical knowledge, and personal factors of pre-service teachers: understanding the link between teacher education program characteristics and student teacher learning outcomes in times of digitalization

Despite the need to foster pre-service teacher competence with respect to information and communication technology (ICT) integration in school during the current era of digitalization, scientific understanding of the correlation between the relevant characteristics of teacher education programs and student teachers’ learning outcomes remains limited. This paper thus examines the relationship between student teachers’ opportunities to learn (OTL) and technological pedagogical knowledge (TPK) with the aim of obtaining insights into their learning processes and the effectiveness of teachers’ preparation upon completing their bachelor studies. A sample of 338 student teachers in their 6th semester at the University of Cologne was used. Findings from path modeling reveal that measures of OTL relate to TPK. While no direct effect of technological pedagogical OTL on TPK was identified, an indirect effect between conventional pedagogical OTL and TPK, mediated by student teachers’ general pedagogical knowledge (GPK) was found. Among the personal factors that affect student teachers, their motivation for using ICT reveals a direct effect on TPK. Further factors, such as gender and teacher education program type have no effect on TPK. The findings will be discussed in relation to expectations of teacher education effectiveness.

Teachers' Willingness to Seek Help for Violence Against Them: The Moderating Effect of Teachers' Seniority.

Students' violence against teachers is a significant problem in many schools worldwide. Yet very little is known about the teachers who suffer from violence and the way they contend with it. The current study focused on teachers' willingness to seek help for violence. More specifically it focused on the effect of teachers' seniority-by means of time (years of teaching) and proficiency general pedagogical knowledge (GPK)-on their willingness to seek help from other teacher-colleagues or members of school management. The sample consisted of 233 Israeli teachers (199 women) from elementary (35%), middle (34.2%), and high school (45%). Teachers' ages were 21 to 68 (mean = 41.77; SD = 10.96), and years of teaching ranged from less than 1 year up to 40 years in the school system (mean = 12.13; SD = 10.67). The findings revealed a negative correlation between victimization and willingness to seek help: namely, the higher the level of violence teachers suffered, the less willing they were to seek help from either colleagues or school management. Also, senior teachers were less likely to seek help from colleagues than were novice teachers, and the negative association between victimization and willingness to seek help was stronger among teachers who had a higher GPK. Moreover, years of teaching served as a risk factor for help-seeking from colleagues, and GPK served as a risk factor for help-seeking from both colleagues and management, but only amidst high levels of violence. Findings revealed the difficulties teachers have when facing violence as well as the role played by their professional status when considering seeking help at school.

Exploring Changes in Teacher Self-Efficacy Through Neuroeducation Professional Development

This study explored the effects of a professional development (PD) on neuroeducation general pedagogical knowledge and instructional strategies for three cohorts of in-service teachers on their teaching self-efficacy beliefs. Teacher self-efficacy is one of the most influential factors for teaching practices, student outcomes, and teacher persistence in the profession. We utilized a neuroeducation instructional framework in the PD to provide knowledge of learning sciences research to inform practices across all curricula. The PD was designed to help teachers translate research into general pedagogical practices to address topics such as classroom emotional climate, student attention and memory, meaningful application of knowledge, and creative problem solving. Two cohorts of teachers engaged in the PD for five months during two consecutive spring semesters, and one cohort participated in a two-week session of the PD. We used a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design and findings revealed increases in teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs in all cohorts. Implications for practice and research are discussed.

ПРОФЕСІЙНА ПІДГОТОВКА МАЙБУТНІХ ВИХОВАТЕЛІВ ДО РОБОТИ З СІМ’ЯМИ УЧАСНИКІВ БОЙОВИХ ДІЙ

The study of the problem of professional training of future educators to work with the families of combatants acquires universal relevance, because it is designed in a special way to study issues of the development of the communicative competence of an individual. The article, based on scientific sources, reveals the professional training of future educators to work with families of combatants. The psychological and pedagogical studies of outstanding scientists were analyzed, in which it was stated that an important task of modern professional education is the training of specialists capable of contributing to the implementation of the state-societal approach to the development of the educational space, the integration of social institutions into the solution of priority socio-economic issues. It was found that an integral component of professional education is the professional training of future educators, which is interpreted by scientists as an objectively existing learning process (teaching and learning), assimilation of professional general pedagogical and methodical knowledge by the future teacher, development of relevant skills and abilities of the student during pedagogical practice; formation of his needs for self- education, self-improvement and self-realization; achieving for this purpose the unity of pedagogical theory and practice, fundamentality and mobility, scientificity and cultural relevance of professional knowledge. It is also stated that communication, which plays an important role in working with such families, is a necessary component of the future educator's professional activity for working with families of combatants. The individual approach to communication, which the future educator carries out, requires in-depth study and knowledge of each family member, his psychological and psychophysical features. The diagnostic methods used with children are presented, in particular: the children's version of the Wechsler test; "cards" of the three-fold Amen; children's version of the Rosenzweig method; children's version of the Eysenck personality questionnaire; R. Zhil's sociometric method; picture tests; technique of unfinished sentences; the Diembo-Rubinstein method.

High School English Teacher’s Core Competencies in China: A Case Study of the Teacher Qualification Examination Syllabus

English is becoming increasingly important in subjects during the internationalization progress. Since the beginning of the 21st century, the National English Curriculum for Nine-year Compulsory Education in China has been developing with the progress of the times and the improvement of national policies. Meanwhile, teachers' teaching ability is closely related to students' learning achievement and future development. Under this circumstance, English teachers' teaching ability and subject knowledge have attracted much attention in China. Through quantitative analysis, the main findings of this paper are as following: 1) Teaching with higher quality will lead to students’ positive and sustainable development in the future, for the quality of teachers’ teaching performance can literally play a decisive role in students’ achievement; the most important factor that affects education and predicts students’ achievement is the quality of teachers’ teaching in class; 2) After it is analyzed, the core competence of senior high school English teachers in China through quantitative proportion analysis and word frequency analysis of the core contents of the syllabus is discovered. Through quantitative analysis, it is found that the emphasis of teacher assessment in the senior high school English teacher qualification examination includes both general pedagogical knowledge and English pedagogical knowledge and competence. Therefore, this paper suggests that teachers should not only have professional English pedagogical skills, but also have strong teaching-related skills (e.g., classroom management); 3) The professional motivation which is reflected in the emotional motivation characteristics of candidates doesn't seem to be fairly reflected in the exam. The results of this study have certain instructional significance for the design, implementation, reliability, and validity of the English teacher qualification examination for senior high schools in China.