Level Of Pedagogical Content Knowledge Research Articles

Exploring the rationale for lesson design as a tool for developing and evaluating science pre-service teachers' topic-specific pedagogical content knowledge

The primary goal of initial teacher education programmes is to develop pre-service teachers' pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). In science education, there have been calls for programmes to help pre-service teachers develop this knowledge at a topic-specific level. In this study, I investigated how lesson planning using a specific guideline called the rationale for lesson design (RfLD) can be used as a tool to develop science pre-service teachers' topic-specific pedagogical content knowledge (TSPCK). This study is positioned within the collective PCK realm of the refined consensus model of PCK and the five components of TSPCK. The participants were six third-year Life Sciences pre-service teachers. Data were collected through lesson plans on the topic of evolution and narrative interviews. A 4-point scale rubric was adapted to score the quality of pre-service teachers' PCK in terms of the five components of TSPCK in each section of the RfLD. Results indicate that the pre-service teachers showed higher levels of PCK especially, in terms of learner prior knowledge and curricular saliency. I argue these scores can be attributed to the RfLD guidelines. I recommend that science pre-service teacher programmes need to expose students to this guideline as a way of developing their PCK in teaching methodology modules. Furthermore, I argue for the value of the RfLD in tracking pre-service teachers' PCK.

مستوى المعرفة التدريسية للمحتوى لدى معلمات العلوم الجدد في ضوء عدد من المتغيرات - دراسة مسحية طولية

هدفت الدراسة إلى قياس مستوى المعرفة التدريسية للمحتوى لدى معلمات العلوم الجدد خلال العام الدراسي بواقع ثلاث مرات، في ضوء عدد من المتغيرات التصنيفية، هي: مؤسسة الإعداد، والمعدل التراكمي، والصفوف التي تدرسها المعلمة، وسنوات الخبرة، ومستوى الإنماء المهني، وشملت العينة (38) معلمة، واستُخدم المنهج المسحي الوصفي ذو التصميم الطولي (Longitudinal Descriptive Survey) الذي يتيح الفرصة لتعرف الظاهرة وقياس التغيرات عبر الزمن، وذلك بجمع البيانات من خلال مقياس كمي قائم على تحليل محتوى خطط الدروس والملاحظة الصفية والمقابلات، وأظهرت النتائج وجود تغير دال إحصائيا عند قيمة احتمالية أقل من (0.05) في مستوى المعرفة التدريسية للمحتوى لدى معلمات العلوم الجدد، إلا أن هذا التغير كان منحنيا (غير خطي)، كما أشارت النتائج إلى عدم وجود تفاعل دال إحصائيا عند قيمة احتمالية (0.05) للتغير في مستوى المعرفة التدريسية للمحتوى وجميع المتغيرات، وهي: مؤسسة الإعداد، وسنوات الخبرة، والصفوف التي تدرسها المعلمة، والمعدل التراكمي، ما عدا متغير مستوى الإنماء المهني لصالح المعلمات ذوات مستوى الإنماء المهني المرتفع، وقد أوصت الدراسة بضرورة تقديم جميع التربويين الدعم والمساندة للمعلمات الجدد في بيئة العمل، وتقديم برامج تنمية مهنية مستمرة تلبي احتياجات المعلمات الجدد خلال السنوات الأولى من التدريس.

Effectiveness of a Phonics Instructional Guide on the PCK of Teaching Phonics among Pre-service EFL Teachers

Previous studies have revealed that a newly compiled phonics instructional guide was able to improve the content knowledge level of pre-service EFL teachers by 23 per cent. Based on this and to further investigate how this guide indirectly impacted the pedagogical content knowledge of these teachers, a longitude and continuous quantitative study was conducted on the same sample in the same teaching college in China. In total, 140 pre-service EFL teachers were assigned to two equivalent groups as before, namely the experimental (N=70) and control groups (N=70), who conducted a trial phonics instruction and completed self-evaluation questionnaires, respectively. The trial instruction aimed to assess their pedagogical content knowledge of teaching phonics, while the self-evaluation form aimed to investigate their self-perceived competencies and efficacy in phonics instruction. The results indicated that based on the content knowledge they already possessed, the pre-service EFL teachers in the experimental group had higher levels of pedagogical content knowledge and self-perception; in comparison, those in the control group had lower pedagogical content knowledge and self-perception levels. In other words, the linear regression results demonstrated that the content knowledge of pre-service EFL teachers is a reliable predictor of their pedagogical content knowledge and self-perception levels. These findings suggest the necessity of enhancing pre-service EFL teachers’ content knowledge of phonics instruction via the guide to further improve their phonics instruction competency, which forms part of their pedagogical content knowledge.

Reflections of a First-Year Chemistry Teacher: Intersecting PCK, Responsiveness, and Inquiry Instruction

Many educators agree that science instruction should be dominated by inquiry strategies, while others stress the need for responsive practices to place a focus on student learning and understanding. Some scholars believe the two approaches exist on opposite ends of an instructional spectrum, while others believe they may be aligned and intertwined. Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), the broadly accepted gold standard for science education, seems to include both. Understanding how teachers incorporate inquiry strategies and responsiveness and how the two intersect could lead to a more complete framework for K–12 science instruction and help streamline science teacher education. This qualitative single-case study examined the reflections of a first-year chemistry teacher by exploring how she demonstrated responsiveness to students while maintaining a teaching orientation of inquiry-based instruction. Results indicated that responsiveness depended on a high level of PCK and led to higher or lower levels of inquiry based on the students’ need for teacher support. Additionally, findings showed that the teacher’s stated and demonstrated beliefs about inquiry were disconnected. Finally, a gap between science conceptual understanding and mathematics PCK suggested the need to support more innovative mathematics pedagogical strategies during physical science teacher education.

Evaluating teachers' pedagogical content knowledge in implementing classroom-based assessment: A case study among esl secondary school teachers in Selangor, Malaysia.

The Malaysian Education Blueprint (PPPM) 2013-2025 has spurred significant reforms in the Primary School Standard Curriculum (KSSR) and Secondary School Standard Curriculum (KSSM), particularly concerning classroom-based assessment (CBA). CBA evaluates students' understanding and progress, informs instruction, and enhances the learning outcomes. Teachers with robust pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) are better equipped to design and implement effective CBA strategies that accurately assess students' comprehension and growth, provide personalised feedback, and guide instruction. This study aims to investigate the relationship between PCK and CBA among English as a Second Language (ESL) secondary school teachers in Selangor, Malaysia. A 5-point Likert-scale questionnaire was administered to 338 teachers across 27 regional secondary schools in Selangor. The Covariance-based structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to analyse the data. The findings revealed that the secondary school teachers demonstrated a high level of PCK, with content knowledge (CK) obtaining the highest mean, followed by pedagogical knowledge (PK) and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). The CBA practices among these teachers were also found to be high. SEM analysis showed a positive association between PK and CBA practices and between PCK and CBA. However, no positive association was observed between CK and CBA practices. In order to enhance teachers' PCK and ensure the effective implementation of CBA, which is crucial for student learning outcomes in Malaysian ESL secondary schools, it is recommended that continuous professional development opportunities be provided, specifically focusing on PCK and CBA.

Predicting the development of digital media PCK/TPACK: The role of PCK, motivation to use digital media, interest in and previous experience with digital media

In today's digital age, incorporating technology in teaching has become increasingly important. To prepare future teachers, understanding the factors that influence the development of teachers' corresponding knowledge base is crucial. However, not only is there a small number of studies investigating the development of pre-service teachers' professional knowledge, but these studies also predominantly rely on cross-sectional and/or self-reported data. This pre-post study investigated the factors associated with the development of digital media Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) in physics teacher education through a seminar-based approach with N = 66 pre-service teachers (PSTs). Investigated factors include PSTs' PCK about students' conceptions (PCK-SC), general motivation to use digital media, interest in digital media, and previous experience with digital media. The findings suggest that a strong foundation in various aspects of PCK is essential for the development of digital media PCK, as PSTs' PCK-SC has proven to be a positive predictor for the development of PTSs' digital media PCK. Surprisingly, the study found that higher motivation to use digital media negatively affects the development of digital media PCK, suggesting that excessive motivation may hinder the acquisition of digital media PCK. Additionally, the study found that PSTs' interest in digital media positively influenced the development of digital media PCK, while previous experience with digital media had a negative impact on its development. The study suggests that future research should focus on investigating the general professional knowledge of PSTs and identifying the proficiency levels of PCK needed for the development of digital media PCK. It also emphasizes the importance of considering both, cognitive and affective aspects of teacher preparation, as seminars that solely focus on motivation may not be adequate in fostering effective technology integration. The study recommends that seminars on digital media integration should be situated at later stages of teacher education or after introductory courses that cover other facets of PCK. Furthermore, integrated seminars addressing multiple facets of PCK alongside digital media PCK could be explored in future research. Overall, this study provides insights into the factors influencing PSTs' development of digital media PCK and suggests avenues for further research to improve the integration of digital media in teaching practices for enhanced student learning outcomes.

Pedagogical Content Knowledge on Primary School Mathematics Teachers Based on Specialization

Quality teaching occur when the knowledge presented is well accepted by pupils. Thus, a teacher’s ability to convey knowledge is crucial for the effective teaching and learning process. Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) is the foundation of a teacher's teaching efficacy. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the level of Pedagogical Content Knowledge in primary school mathematics teachers in Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan. This is a quantitative study with a questionnaire as the instrument. The study's findings reveal that the level of Pedagogical Content Knowledge in primary school mathematics teachers in Kuala Pilah is satisfactory. The independent t-test analysis also reveals that there is no significant difference in the level of Pedagogical Content Knowledge among mathematics teachers based on their specialization. This phenomenon could occur due to government resources, lesson study, and mentorship programs that considerably assist mathematics teachers who do not specialize in teaching. This study's findings may assist school administrators to plan and manage issues such as subject distribution as well as the organization of teacher professional development programs.

Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Continuing Professional Development and Teachers’ Attitude Toward Science: A Structural Equation Model on Science Curriculum Implementation

The study's main objective was to determine the best-fit model for science curriculum implementation of public secondary science teachers in Region XII based on pedagogical content knowledge, continuing professional development, and teachers' attitudes toward science. This study used a stratified sampling technique to choose 400 respondents, a quantitative non-experimental causal research design, and mean, Pearson r, multiple regression, and structural equation model (SEM) as statistical tools. Survey questionnaires were deployed to the respondents using the online Google Form. Results revealed that the level of pedagogical content knowledge was very high, the level of continuing professional development was high, the level of attitude toward science was high, and the level of science curriculum implementation was very high. Moreover, pedagogical content knowledge, continuing professional development, and attitude toward science exhibited a significant relationship with science curriculum implementation. Furthermore, pedagogical content knowledge was the domain that best influences science curriculum implementation. Finally, among the five generated models, Model 5 best-fitted science curriculum implementation with pedagogical content knowledge in terms of subject matter knowledge, instructional objective and context, and knowledge of students' understanding, continuing professional development in terms of updating, reflective, and collaborative activities, and attitude toward science in terms of perceived dependency on context factors, self-efficacy, the difficulty of science teaching, and perceived relevance. Keywords: educational management, pedagogical content knowledge, continuing professional development, attitude toward science, science curriculum implementation, structural equation model, Philippines DOI: 10.7176/JEP/14-15-07 Publication date: May 31 st 2023

Pedagogical and Epistemological Challenges of Pre-Service Science Teachers Teaching Socioscientific Issues

Abstract To effectively address socioscientific issues (SSI), science teachers need to obtain a certain level of pedagogical content knowledge for SSI teaching (SSI-PCK). In this study, therefore, pre-service science teachers (PSTs) were provided an SSI teacher education program (SSI-TEP) based on the SSI-PCK framework and their development and challenges were carefully examined. Fifteen PSTs participated in the SSI-TEP over 15 weeks and had opportunities to design and implement an SSI lesson in a group. Data were collected through SSI lesson plans, fieldnotes, and group interviews. The results showed that the PSTs highly valued their SSI-TEP experience but noted several pedagogical and epistemological challenges. They were concerned about how to meet both the national science curriculum and students’ needs and how to reveal the nature of science and technology through the selected SSI scenarios. Additionally, they felt the need to obtain skills to facilitate and scaffold students’ participation. The challenges were often intertwined with SSI-PCK components.

Starting the Educational Reform from the Beginning: Croatian Pre-Service Chemistry Teachers’ Level of Pedagogical Content Knowledge on Particle Theory

Changes in the educational system need strong support from and connection to teachers. For this, knowledge about teachers is needed. A key factor in changing the chemistry classroom reality are teachers—in-service and pre-service. Chemistry Education Research is a new domain in Croatia. Since the transfer of the data from various undertaken studies on teachers’ knowledge is not easy based on differences in educational systems, research in the Croatian context is needed. Particle Theory is one of the main topics and the basis of chemistry teaching and learning. This study is based on open-ended questions following the frame of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and Big Ideas about Particle Theory by Loughran. Data analysis follows the pattern of graduating the PCK of the participants at the novice, intermediate or advanced level. The results show that pre-service chemistry teachers’ PCK is either novice or intermediate on the national level, while the results for particular universities show some differences in chemistry pre-service teachers’ PCK. Thus, the study can be an excellent starting point for chemistry teacher educators in university for further development of pre-service teachers’ PCK.

초등예비교사의 영어 교과 TPACK에 대한 중요도-실행도 분석 연구

The present study investigates pre-service elementary school teachers’ perception about the importance of technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) in English education, and their self-evaluation of TPACK performance, and analyzes the priority of educational needs among seven competencies in the TPACK Framework. One hundred and twenty-five pre-service elementary school teachers including six subject education majors participated. To measure their perceptions regarding the importance and performance of seven competencies including TPACK, the two surveys−TPACK Importance Survey and TPACK Performance Survey−were administered. Survey responses were analyzed using the Importance-Performance Analysis (IPA) method. The findings are: First, pre-service teachers’ perceived importance levels were higher than their perceived performance levels in seven competencies. Second, the IPA showed English and Korean education majors must focus on developing TPACK, maintaining the current level of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). Science and computer education majors must focus on developing PCK in advance. Third, freshmen showed higher levels of importance and performance than juniors; however, according to the IPA, the priority needs for both groups are the same. The findings suggest that the TPACK development program should be adjusted to the pre-service teachers’ needs− which competencies to focus on in priority−according to their majors and grade levels.

A proficiency model for pre‐service physics teachers' pedagogical content knowledge (PCK)—What constitutes high‐level PCK?

AbstractThis study identifies proficiency levels in pre‐service physics teachers' pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and reveals how teacher education can promote transitions into higher proficiency. Teacher education plays a fundamental role in supporting pre‐service teachers' PCK development. Proficiency levels are a powerful source when evaluating this PCK development because they characterize what learners are likely to be able to know on a specific level. Previous research has presented a model of proficiency levels in pre‐service physics teachers' PCK; however, evidence for the model's validity is still lacking. According to the Refined Consensus Model of PCK, factors such as teachers' content knowledge (CK), their teaching experience, and their beliefs about teaching and learning science promote PCK development. Thus, understanding how and when pre‐service physics teachers' CK, teaching experience, and beliefs contribute to their proficiency can bring insights into how teacher education can promote PCK development. To address this issue, N = 427 observations of pre‐service physics teachers were analyzed. Utilizing the scale anchoring procedure, four different proficiency levels in pre‐service physics teachers' PCK were identified. Analyzing these proficiency levels showed that lower levels can be characterized as remembering content‐unspecific knowledge, whereas higher levels encompass content‐specific strategies to structure and elaborate lessons. Additionally, logistic regression models revealed that pre‐service physics teachers' CK is crucial for an increase in PCK proficiency. However, transitions into higher levels of PCK additionally require teaching experience and adequate beliefs about teaching and learning. Thus, our proficiency levels can be used to bring insights into how proficiency in PCK can be supported during teacher education. For example, teacher education should provide courses focusing on the science curriculum and the assessment of student learning to promote pre‐service physics teachers' progression in PCK.

Unveiling belief and pedagogical content knowledge of prospective secondary mathematics teachers

Prospective teachers' beliefs have a beneficial effect on their knowledge and actions. Furthermore, teachers' pedagogical content knowledge is an essential contributor to teachers' impact on students' academic outcomes. However, examining how prospective teachers' beliefs influence their pedagogical content knowledge is still unclear. The current study investigates prospective mathematics teachers' beliefs and pedagogical content knowledge. We recruited three undergraduate students in the mathematics department consisting of one male and two female participants in this study. By assigning two interviews, a test, and observation, we examined three prospective mathematics teachers' pedagogical content knowledge and their beliefs about the nature of mathematics, mathematics learning, and mathematics teaching. Prospective mathematics teachers' test, interview, and observation results were analyzed in three stages: data condensation, presentation, and conclusion drawing and verification. The findings point out that traditional beliefs (instrumentalist and platonist views) are more dominant in prospective teachers' beliefs about the nature of mathematics. Moreover, the more sophisticated prospective teachers' beliefs about the nature of mathematics, mathematics learning, and mathematics teaching are, the higher one's content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge levels are. Implications of this study, mathematics teacher educators should assist and foster prospective teachers in developing constructivist or problem-solving beliefs.

Teacher Education Students’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge: Retooling the Mentorship Process Within Schools of Education in Kenya

The impact of globalization has brought changes to education which requires teachers to demonstrate practical pedagogical wisdom in critical features of teaching, namely: the subject matter being taught, the classroom context, and the physical and psychological characteristics of the students, that is, Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK). High level of Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) leads to delivery of high-quality instruction in today’s highly contextualized classroom settings and has the potential of producing learners who are prepared for a competitive society. However, teachers’ lack of PCK has been identified as a pervasive problem all over the world. In Kenya, it has been highly linked to the recurrence of poor performance in local and internal competitive examinations, poor attitudes in some subjects, and lack of motivation for continuous learning among school-age children along the education continuum. Even so, the voice of student teachers and that of the school practice advisors, at the center and apex of this mentorship process in the Universities, has been largely ignored in transformative teacher education discourse. Guided by literature on transformative teacher education, student teacher mentorship, and reflective pedagogy, this paper presents the perspectives of 50 Student Teachers (STs) and 10 School Practice Advisors. STs confidence in special teaching methods courses, pedagogical content competence in teaching both independently and collaboratively, key areas of concern for PCK improvement, and practical strategies for PCK mentorship were the focus. Based on a qualitative and an interpretive research paradigm, the sentiments of 50 STs who participated in the May-August, 2017 School Practice as well as the views of 10 School Practice Advisors (SPAs) from the School Education (SEDU) of Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology were sought. Based on four domains of Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) which include Subject Matter Knowledge (SMK), Knowledge of Curriculum (KoC) and Knowledge of Learners (KoL), and Knowledge of Pedagogies (KoP), the paper provides insights for teacher educators and University Management on areas that need further improvement and strategies for developing beginning teachers’ PCK practices.

Determination and Comparison Pedagogical Content Knowledge of Pre-Service and In-Service Elementary School Teachers in Mathematics

The research investigates and compares pedagogical content knowledge of pre-service and in-service elementary school teachers in mathematics. The study used a quantitative method design, and the participants were 96 pre-service teachers and 80 in-service elementary school teachers. The data collected by questionnaires using 5-point Likers scala consists of content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and pedagogical content knowledge. The data is analyzed using a one-way ANOVA and MANOVA. The results showed that pre-service and in-service teachers showed higher levels of pedagogical content knowledge. Teachers in services scored higher in pedagogical content knowledge than pre-service teachers significantly. In-service teachers have higher scores in each of the components. Pre-service teachers have higher scores in pedagogical knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge except for content knowledge. Teacher educators need to pay attention to increased pre-service content knowledge and activating pre￾service teachers in elementary school as co-teacher. In-service teachers can improve their skills through educational seminars and webinars online that do not interfere with teaching time.

Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) Profiles of Senior Secondary Biology Teachers at Public Schools in Bireuen District, Aceh, Indonesia

The combination of pedagogical competence and good professional competence becomes a necessity for teachers. PCK is a knowledge developed by teachers over time, through experiences on how to teach the material in various techniques and approaches to gain a wealth of student understanding. This research was conducted to find out the profile of PCK of Biology teachers of senior high schools. The study was conducted in April 2018. The population in this study was all Biology teachers of senior high schools in Bireuen district (N=137). While the samples of this study were 32 Biology teachers selected by cluster sampling. The method used in this research was the quantitative method with descriptive analysis through survey design. Teachers’ PCK was obtained by CoRe (Content Representation) instrument and triangulated data with students’ questionnaire. The results showed that PCK profile of Biology teachers at senior high schools in Bireuen district was at the growing PCK level.

A phenomenographic study on language assessment literacy: hearing from Iranian university teachers

This study aims to disclose the Iranian university teachers’ perceptions of the fundamentals of language assessment literacy (LAL). To this aim, using purposive sampling, eighteen university teachers from two Iranian universities were invited to participate in semi-structured interviews. Their viewpoints were audio-recorded, transcribed, and subjected to a phenomenographic analysis. Findings yielded two overarching LAL domains: knowledge (e.g., having an acceptable level of digital LAL, satisfying ethical requirements, benefiting more from performance assessment, considering students’ individual differences, making assessment valid, assuring that tests are reliable, and having an acceptable level of pedagogical content knowledge) and skills (e.g., involving students in assessment, using alternative assessment methods, employing logically traditional assessment methods, informing students about test results, administering tests in standardized ways, using valid grading procedures, and bringing positive wash-back effects). After discussing the results, the study concludes with proposing a range of implications for different testing stakeholders and highlighting some avenues for further research.

The Impact of Pre-Service Teachers’ Orientation on the Implementation of Inquiry-Based Science Instruction

The purpose of the study is to investigate how pre-service elementary teachers’ orientation about science inquiry impacts their implementation of inquiry-based instruction. Teaching orientation is one of the levels of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) which impacts on teachers’ instructional practice. With thirty-one pre-service teachers, data are collected using a survey and three vignettes and are analyzed using a correlational coefficient. The results show that (a) there is a moderate relationship between pre-service teachers’ view of inquiry-based instruction and their willingness to implement it; (b) pre-service teachers’ confidence in implementing inquiry-based instruction increases as they gain experience with inquiry-based methods through coursework; (c) the participants favor using inquiry methods, but they feel more comfortable with a more teacher-centered approach. It implies that one science method course may not suffice to produce teachers who are self-efficacious about teaching inquiry-based science. Thus, they need additional instruction to implement a more student-centered inquiry approach.

Technological pedagogical content knowledge as a predictor of physical education and sports teachers' evaluations of distance education

The aim of this study is to reveal whether physical education and sports teachers' technological pedagogical knowledge levels and some variables are significant predictors of distance education evaluation levels. The correlational design, in which the direction and strength of the relationship between more than one variable were investigated, was used in the study. The research group consists of 213 physical education and sports teachers. The data of the research were collected with the Technologic Pedagogical Content Knowledge Scale and Distance Education Evaluation Scale Technologic pedagogical content knowledge general level has increased distance education evaluation general level. Technology knowledge increased distance education evaluation general level, technical level and learning process level. Based on the results, it can be recommended that physical education and sports teachers should be given trainings to increase their technological pedagogical content knowledge levels with the aim of minimizing the problems experienced by physical education and sports teachers in the distance education process and increasing the quality of education.
 
 Keywords:Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge; Distance Education; Physical Education And Sports Teachers

SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHERS’ PEDAGOGICAL CONTENT KNOWLEDGE AND ITS INFLUENCE ON THEIR ASSESSMENT PRACTICES IN JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE WEST AKIM MUNICIPALITY, GHANA

<p>The study examined Social Studies teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge and its influence on their assessment practices in Junior High Schools in the West Akim Municipality in the Eastern Region of Ghana. The study was hinged on the Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) model by Shulman, (1986) and adopted the concurrent triangulation design with mixed methods approach. The census and convenience sampling techniques were used to select seventy-seven (77) and ten (10) respondents respectively for the study. Questionnaire, observation check list and document analysis were used by the researchers as instruments for data collection. These instruments were used to enable the researchers triangulate the information to test the consistency of the findings. A reliability analysis using Cronbach’s Alpha was performed to determine the internal consistency of each construct in the questionnaire and the observation checklist. The data obtained from the three instruments were analysed using descriptive statistics (frequency counts, percentages, mean and standard deviation). Inferential statistics (Pearson Product Moment Correlation) was used to test the stated hypothesis. The results indicated that generally, most of the JHS Social Studies teachers possessed some level of pedagogical content knowledge. Again, Social Studies teachers practice traditional assessment method (pen/pencil and paper). The results further pointed out that pedagogical content knowledge influence teachers’ assessment practices (r = .819**, sig. =.000** p < 0.05, CI=95%, n=77, 2-tailed). It is recommended that Social Studies teachers within the West Akim Municipality should make use of alternative assessment techniques as these other techniques will help cater for affective and psychomotor assessments which will help develop pupils’ attitudes and values.</p><p> </p><p><strong> Article visualizations:</strong></p><p><img src="/-counters-/edu_01/0788/a.php" alt="Hit counter" /></p>