Science Pedagogical Content Knowledge Research Articles

A review of research on pedagogical content knowledge in science and mathematics education in the last five years

This study aims to review Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) studies related to science and mathematics education in the ERIC database. In addition, journals published in the Eric database were searched using the same keyword. Thirty-five science and mathematics education studies were analyzed using standards from the related literature. A qualitative thematic review was conducted in this study. All articles were downloaded and read by the researchers. Each researcher examined them together to determine themes. The themes determined were the subjects and topics studied, the profile of the participants, the data collection instruments, the study design, and the consideration of pedagogical content knowledge with its components. The results were reviewed in terms of the competencies of preservice and in-service science and mathematics teachers in pedagogical content knowledge, the analysis of the development of prospective teachers' pedagogical content knowledge, and the components of pedagogical content knowledge. Some implications of these findings were suggested for determining and developing pedagogical content knowledge of prospective and in-service science and mathematics teachers.

Using inquiry-based learning to develop Earth science pedagogical content knowledge: impact of a long-term professional development program

ABSTRACT Background Science teachers represent the critical link to the development of a scientifically literate citizenry who is capable of addressing societal problems and global challenges in ways that positively affect the quality of life. Purpose We investigated how a long-term, inquiry-based professional development program could be utilized to increase teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge of topics related to 8th grade Earth Science. Sample The sample included 17 eighth-grade science teachers working in Title 1 schools serving students of low socioeconomic status and high populations of English language learners. Design and methods A mixed-method approach of exploratory design was used in this study. A paired samples t-test for the weighted score of the Earth Space Science Diagnostic Science Assessment for Middle School Teachers (DTAMS) was used to investigate changes in teacher knowledge of Earth Science topics. Qualitative data was collected via reflective prompts and thematically analyzed using NVIVO software (Clarke and Braun 2017). Results DTAMS results showed a statistically significant difference in the scores for the pretest (M = 14.53, SD = 3.83) and posttest (M = 17.01, SD = 3.39) results; t (14) = −2.4, p = .03. Eleven themes emerged from the NVIVO analysis that align with and demonstrate the inclusion of four essential components of constructivism (Baviskar, Hartle and Whitney 2009) including prior knowledge (connecting and building blocks); creation of cognitive dissonance (hands on, field trip, pacing, scaffolding, technology, and collaboration/relationship); assessment (informal and formal assessment); and reflection. Conclusion Based on DTAMS results, the novice teachers gained content knowledge of Earth Science topics. The reflective prompts demonstrated the teachers used constructivism (inquiry- based instruction) during lesson planning and implementation documented with 11 themes associated with the four components of constructivism (Baviskar, Hartle and Whitney 2009).

Why Olympiad: Investigating Motivations and Benefits of Coaching Elementary Science Olympiad

ABSTRACT Science Olympiad is a K-12 science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) competition that engages approximately 7,000 teams across the U.S. in individual and team challenges at regional, state, and national levels. Science Olympiad began expanding to include elementary students in 2008. Yet, little is known about the adults who volunteer to coach elementary Science Olympiad teams or their coaching motivations. The purpose of this study was to investigate who coached elementary Science Olympiad teams, what motivated them to volunteer, and how their participation influenced their science teaching self-confidence, knowledge, and practices. This mixed-methods study investigated 125 Elementary Science Olympiad coaches’ beliefs in the southeastern U.S. Survey items were based on the Coach Motivation Questionnaire (CMQ). Open-response questions following the survey items were coded in two ways; inductively and based on a priori motivational codes. Participant coaches were most likely to be teachers (92%), female (85%), and White (85%). Survey findings indicate that coaches’ most significant motivating factors were intrinsic (M = 4.33/5); minor differences were based on gender, role, and length of time coaching. The qualitative responses supported the survey findings and gave more insight into teacher-coaches’ thinking. The coaching experience had many positive effects on the teachers, such as enhancing their science and pedagogical content knowledge in science and other subjects, strongly influencing their self-confidence, and increasing their use of hands-on science and STEM activities.

Enacted Pedagogical Content Knowledge Profiles of Chemistry Teachers

This research focuses on chemistry teachers’ enacted pedagogical content knowledge (ePCK) in equilibrium in chemical reactions. The enactment dimension of this pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) encompasses enacted knowledge and skills as well as those embedded in practice concerning the Refined Consensus Model of PCK, the most recent PCK model in science education. As ePCK plays out throughout the whole pedagogical cycle, it was conceptualized as to exist in three forms, such that ePCKP, ePCKT, and ePCKR. While ePCKP and ePCKR represent the knowledge and skills that a teacher uses for planning and reflecting respectively, ePCKT is related to what a teacher does in the classroom. The holistic nature of ePCK was investigated by using multiple data sources in real-life contexts. Specifically, pre-and post-observation interviews and lesson observations were used to elicit ePCK profiles and to provide triangulation. The grand rubric was customized for use both as an interview protocol and as an observational protocol for analyzing all of the three dimensions of ePCK around the analytical parameters of knowledge and skills related to curricular saliency, conceptual teaching strategies, and student understanding of science. Results revealed that chemistry teachers’ ePCK profiles are not uniform across planning, teaching, and reflecting phases, ePCK components, and evaluation criteria. Chemistry teachers perform highest in reflection concerning conceptual teaching strategies and lowest in teaching in terms of curricular saliency. Recommendations for science PCK research were shared.

Understanding the Students’ Adversities in the Science Classroom

Science has long been regarded as an important subject in a school curriculum and science teachers play a vital role in the learning process of the students in the science classrooms as well as in other subjects. However, students still encounter problems related to their science teachers, which significantly influence their academic performance in science. Using a qualitative-phenomenological design, an in-depth and systematic analysis of the students’ experiences gathered during the face-to-face interview provided a detailed explanation of the teacher-based adversities in the science classroom. The students who participated in this study revealed that they had encountered various teacher-based adversities, which disrupted and affected their learning and performance in the science classroom. Students experienced having a teacher of limited pedagogical content knowledge in science, and little commitment to teach science in the classroom. Consequently, the students were not encouraged to learn science; they lost interest to learn science as well as they have developed a negative attitude towards their teachers and the subject. In the same manner, the students experienced difficulty in understanding the topic and inability to connect previous information to a new one because of having a teacher of little commitment in the instruction of science. With this, the interested parties such as the teachers, administrators, students can develop appropriate actions to address these problems not only in the science classroom but in the school in general.

유아교사의 과학교과교육학지식이 과학수업전문성에 미치는 영향: 과학수업에 대한 반성적 사고의 매개효과를 중심으로

본 연구는 유아교사가 인식한 과학교과교육학지식이 과학수업전문성에 미치는 영향에서 과학수업에 대한 반성적 사고의 매개효과를 밝혀보기 위해 수행되었다. 이를 위하여 G시에 소재한 유아교육 기관의 만3-5세 담임교사 222명을 대상으로 과학교과교육학지식, 과학수업전문성, 그리고 과학수업에 대한 반성적 사고에 대한 설문조사를 실시하였다. 수집된 자료는 SPSS PC+ 21.0 프로그램을 사용하여 Pearson 상관분석 및 중다회귀분석, 그리고 Baron과 Kenny의 3단계 매개회귀분석을 실시한 후 Sobel Test를 실시하였다. 본 연구의 결과, 유아교사가 인식한 과학교과교육학지식과 과학수업에 대한 반성적 사고는 과학수업전문성을 설명하는 유의미한 변인이었으며 유아교사의 과학 교과교육학지식은 과학수업에 대한 반성적 사고를 매개로 과학수업전문성에 정적 방향으로 영향을 미치는 것으로 나타났다. 본 연구의 결과는 과학교과교육학지식 습득 뿐 아니라 과학수업에 대한 반성적 사고력을 길러줌으로써 유아교사의 과학수업전문성을 증진시킬 수 있을 것임을 시사한다.

Computer Science Pedagogical Content Knowledge

Computer science education efforts are expanding across the globe to equip students with the necessary computing skills for today’s digital world. However, preparing students to become literate in computing activities requires the training of tens of thousands of teachers in computer science. The discrepancy between student needs and teacher preparation in computer science has raised questions of quality teachers, particularly for teachers who do not possess adequate content or pedagogical knowledge to teach computer science efficiently. To address this issue, we designed an instrument to measure knowledge needed to teach computer science (i.e., computer science pedagogical content knowledge). Results exhibited that our instrument measured aspects of teachers’ computer science pedagogical content knowledge; however, teachers’ prior background in teaching did not influence their performance. We discuss implications for future research and practice.

A Study on the Science Teaching Initiative of Infant Teachers: Focusing on the Constructivist Belief, Play Teaching Efficacy, Eco–Friendly Teaching Attitude and Science Pedagogical Content Knowledge

A Study on the Science Teaching Initiative of Infant Teachers: Focusing on the Constructivist Belief, Play Teaching Efficacy, Eco–Friendly Teaching Attitude and Science Pedagogical Content Knowledge

Teaching Contexts That Influence Elementary Preservice Teachers’ Teacher and Science Teacher Identity Development

ABSTRACTSupporting elementary preservice teachers’ development of a science teacher identity provides a way to address challenges of low self-efficacy, self-confidence, and pedagogical content knowledge in science. Meaningful teaching experiences in student teaching placements and field-based science methods courses provide opportunities for preservice teachers to develop their identities as science teachers and deepen their understandings of social justice issues in science. This collective case study examined how the teacher and science teacher identities of three elementary preservice teachers, and their becoming social justice teachers, developed during their first semester of student teaching after taking a one-semester science methods course. The study drew on subject matter teacher identity, positioning theory, and social justice science teacher identity. Preservice teachers' personal identities and histories, university coursework, positioning in their student teaching classrooms, and opportunities to authentically teach were identified as mediating influences on the development of their teacher and science teacher identity, as well as their perceived ability to teach science for social justice. The study has implications for understanding the ways in which student teaching experiences, including how cooperating teachers position student teachers, support or work against reform-oriented science teacher identities developed through university coursework.

The Effects of Simulated Instruction Activity for Developing in Science Pedagogical Content Knowledge of Pre-service Special Education Teachers

The Effects of Simulated Instruction Activity for Developing in Science Pedagogical Content Knowledge of Pre-service Special Education Teachers

Caring Enough to Teach Science

The goal of this project was to motivate pre-service elementary teachers to commit to spending significant instructional time on science in their future classrooms despite their self-assessed lack of confidence about teaching science and other impediments (e.g., high-stakes testing practices that value other subjects over science). Pre-service teachers in science methods courses explored connections between science and ethics, specifically around issues of ecological sustainability, and grappled with their ethical responsibilities as teachers to provide science instruction. Survey responses, student “quick-writes,” interview transcripts, and field notes were analyzed. Findings suggest that helping pre-service teachers see these connections may shape their beliefs and dispositions in ways that may motivate them to embark on the long road toward improving their science pedagogical content knowledge and ultimately to teach science to their students more often and better than they otherwise might. The approach may also offer a way for teachers to attend to the moral work of teaching.

Research on the Characteristics of Science Subject Matter Knowledge (SMK) and Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) of Primary School Teachers in Classroom Teaching

The purpose of this research is to investigate characteristics of science content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge shown in the primary school science classes. Through analysis of classroom teaching, explore the features and differences between primary and secondary school science PCK. Using open-ended interviews with the teachers and group discussions on a regular basis to analyze and compare classes of five primary school teachers, the relationship between CK and PCK. Regardless of the school level the teacher`s PCK and professionalism is required with varying focus and emphasis. The features of the primary school teacher`s PCK are as follows: Firstly, elementary teach secondary teach content, teachers value pedagogical knowledge (PK) content knowledge (CK). The primary school PCK requires more of understanding of students and teaching methods that to subject areas. PCK be without content knowledge, and the teacher`s PCK is subject-specific In addition to the characteristics of PCK in the primary school science teaching, ways to set up professional exchange or collaboration between primary and secondary teachers, and to provide supplementary in-service training focused on content knowledge for primary school teachers.

Not a stale metaphor: the continued relevance of pedagogical content knowledge for science research and education

ABSTRACTRecently, theorists have raised concerns that pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) has become “a stale metaphor” that disregards diversity and equity, offers little to help teachers address students’ misconceptions, and portrays knowledge as “in the head” versus in practice. We refute these notions using grounded theory to specify ways one 7th-grade science teacher enacted PCK to advance student learning. With the definition of PCK as knowledge at the intersection of content and teaching, we utilised a framework for science PCK to explore instructional decision-making. Interviews conducted over three years revealed specific ways the teacher enacted PCK by designing and delivering instruction built on each of the seven conceptual science PCK components. The teacher enacted PCK to plan and deliver instruction that was responsive, adaptive, and considerate of changing needs of students and the changing classroom landscape. She infused PCK into instructional decision-making, instructional interactions, and mentoring of a student teacher, modelling the translation of educational theory into practice and habits of mind necessary for expert teaching. This enactment actively refutes Settlage’s critiques, and depicts PCK as a vibrant and effective stance for teaching that enhances learning.

Developing Elementary Science PCK for Teacher Education: Lessons Learned from a Second Grade Partnership

In this self-study, two science educators partnered with two elementary teachers to plan, implement, and reflect on a unit taught in second grade classrooms that integrated science and language arts. The researchers hoped to increase their pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) for elementary science teaching so that they might use their experiences working in an elementary context to modify their practices in their elementary science method instruction. The research question guiding the study was: What aspects of our PCK for elementary science teaching do we as science educators develop by co-planning, co-teaching, and reflecting with second grade teachers? Data include transcripts of planning meetings, oral reflections about the experience, and videos of the unit being enacted. Findings indicate that managing resources for science teaching, organizing students for science learning, and reflecting on science teaching were themes prevalent in the data. These themes were linked to the model of PCK developed by Park and Oliver (Research in Science Education, 38, 261–284, 2008) and demonstrate that we developed PCK for elementary science teaching in several areas. In our discussion, we include several proposed changes for our elementary science methods course based on the outcomes of the study.

Teaching efficacy: exploring relationships between mathematics and science self-efficacy beliefs, PCK and domain knowledge among preservice teachers from the United States

This mixed-methods study investigated the relationships among preservice teachers’ efficacy beliefs, pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and their domain knowledge (DK) as related to mathematics and science teaching. Quantitative results revealed that participants’ PCK was significantly correlated with their mathematics and science efficacy beliefs. Additionally, participants’ mathematics and science DK did not predict their mathematics and science personal efficacy beliefs, however, their PCK score predicted participants’ outcome expectancies. Interview analysis revealed five inter-related key themes, labeled as: Previous academic experiences, Mathematics and science PCK beliefs, Personal efficacy, Outcome expectancies and Emotions. These common themes describe participants’ views of their quality teacher training and thinking about planned instruction. Educational implications are discussed in relationship with study findings.

Use of the Rasch measurement model to explore the relationship between content knowledge and topic-specific pedagogical content knowledge for organic chemistry

ABSTRACTResearch has shown that a high level of content knowledge (CK) is necessary but not sufficient to develop the special knowledge base of expert teachers known as pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). This study contributes towards research to quantify the relationship between CK and PCK in science. In order to determine the proportion of the variance in PCK accounted for by the variance in CK, instruments are required which are valid and reliable as well as being unidimensional to measure person abilities for CK and PCK. An instrument consisting of two paper-and-pencil tests was designed to assess Grade 12 teachers CK and PCK in organic chemistry. We used the Rasch measurement model to convert raw score data into interval measures and to provide empirical evidence for the validity, reliability and unidimensionality of the tests. The correlation between CK and PCK was estimated as r = .66 (p < .001). We found evidence to suggest that while topic-specific PCK (TSPCK) develops with increasing teaching experience, high levels of CK can be acquired with limited teaching experience. These findings support the hypothesis that CK is a requirement for the development of TSPCK; proficiency in CK is, however, not necessarily associated with high levels of TSPCK.

Primary Science Teaching – Is it Integral and Deep Experience For Students?

Abstract Integral and deep pedagogical content knowledge can support future primary teachers’ ability to follow ideas of education for sustainability in science class. Initial teacher education provides opportunity to learn what and how to teach but still the practical experiences of teaching can reveal uneven development of student teachers’ professionality. The aim of the study is to describe how future primary teachers reflect on their experiences about science teaching and what components of science pedagogical content knowledge they see as meaningful. A questionnaire and interviews were used. The results reveal the deep impact of teaching practice on students’ understanding of the role of a teacher in supporting pupils’ acquisition of scientific skills. The experiences described are related more to teaching and learning in general and less with science-specific factors. Nevertheless, students described changes in mission e.g. how they learned about their role through pupils’ achievements and thinking about science. Changes in professional identity were mentioned rarely but this could point to an underestimated resource issue for teacher education. Positive changes in professional identity may help students to decide to choose more integral strategies in science teaching and thus promote more sustainability oriented teaching.

Domains of Science Pedagogical Content Knowledge in Primary Student Teachers’ Practice Experiences

This study aims to describe how science pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) is reflected in the learning experiences of future primary teachers. Questionnaires and focus groups were used and data analysed by domains of PCK - orientation to teaching science, pupils’ thinking about science, instructional strategies for science, the science curriculum and assessment of pupils’ science learning. Most experiences related to general aspects of teaching and learning and less with science-specific factors. The result that some PCK domains are half or less significant could reveal why primary science student teachers do not meet some expectations of supervisors, teachers and pupils.

Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK): Exploring its Usefulness for Science Lecturers in Higher Education

In the past 30 years, pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) frameworks have become important constructs in educational research undertaken in the school education system and a focus for research for curriculum and teacher education researchers. As regards science, PCK research has been plentiful, but thus far, the concept of PCK (significantly enhanced since its proposal) has only been validated in the school context (Kindergarten to Grade 12). Within this environment, however, it has proven to be a very useful construct for understanding teacher practice and contributing to the improvement of teacher education courses. Knowledge about whether PCK is useful as a conceptual framework for science lecturers (teachers) working in higher education is as yet unknown and represents a gap in the research literature; the research outlined here is a first step in exploring its usefulness in this context. This paper provides an analysis of data obtained from semi-structured interviews conducted with nine Australian science university lecturers from various disciplines and levels of seniority and experience of tertiary teaching, as well as an academic developer skilled in facilitating science academics’ understanding of pedagogy in higher education. The research aimed to investigate the extent to which one version of a school-based science PCK framework resonated with the pedagogical thinking of university science lecturers and the ways in which it could influence their teaching practice.

Formative Assessment and Teachers' Sensitivity to Student Responses

Formative assessment, and especially feedback, is considered essential to student learning. To provide effective feedback, however, teachers must act upon the information that students reveal during instruction. In this study, we apply a framework of formative assessment to explore how sensitive teachers are to students' thoughts and ideas when teaching for conceptual understanding. Six elementary school teachers were interviewed and videotaped as they implemented a curriculum that emphasized the teaching of key science concepts through different modes of learning (doing, reading, writing, and talking). We created four main categories for fostering conceptual understanding: identifying learning goals, eliciting student information, interpreting student information, and acting. Findings indicate that elementary school teachers with low levels of pedagogical content knowledge in science do not always know the key concepts of a scientific idea or how to teach them to increase student learning. Therefore, teachers' interpretation of students' responses and their subsequent actions are not likely to be aligned to the scientific idea the key concepts represent. We suggest that teachers need support to identify the key concepts within the discipline of science. Equally important is to realize that to make meaning, these concepts must be taught in a context and in relation to other words within the discipline.