Teachers In Content Knowledge Research Articles

Analysis of Technological Pedagogical And Content Knowledge Teachers physics Overcoming Misconceptions Newton's Law

Misconceptions in students must be corrected immediately so that there is no retention of misconceptions in subsequent knowledge. One way to prevent and reduce misconceptions that occur in students is with the ability of Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) of teachers. Teachers who integrate TPACK in learning can prevent misconceptions and find solutions to overcome the misconceptions that occur. This study aims to determine the TPACK ability of teachers in overcoming misconceptions,. The research method used in this study is a Mixed method with an unbalanced mixed research design (Concurrent Embedded design). The results showed that the teacher's TPACK ability can improve students' concept understanding. This is indicated by the N-Gain score= 0.72, which means that the teacher's TPACK ability is effective in improving concept understanding on newton's law material.

Towards a Quantum Technology PCK for Teachers

For many years quantum physics has been introduced in European secondary schools. However, quantum physics, and even more quantum technology, is not sufficiently part of present physics teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK). For this reason, the QTEdu pilot project ‘Quantum Technology PCK for teachers’ put together the expertise of several educational researchers in order to i) pre-research the Pedagogical Content Knowledge teachers need to teach Quantum Mechanics (QM) and Quantum Technology (QT) and ii) develop a PCK Map of practical use for teachers and teacher educators. The consortium performed pilots at the local level of existing teaching resources. The partners applied qualitative research methods such as interviews and observations in order to collect illustrations for the activities included in the developed PCK map.

Teachers’ Competency in Content Knowledge and Pedagogy in Buhi South District, Philippines

This study investigated the competency of teachers in content knowledge and pedagogy. This involved the forty-five Elementary teachers teaching Grade levels 1 to 3 in the nine selected public elementary schools in the Department of Education (DepEd), Division of Camarines Sur, Buhi South District, Philippines, for the School Year 2022-2023. The study results revealed that teachers are Highly competent in content knowledge and pedagogy except in the utilization and application of research-based knowledge and principles of teaching and learning. The results further revealed that their professional peers were the most influential factor that affects them. Quantitative data shows that teachers' competency along content knowledge application within and across the curriculum areas, as well as the utilization of Mother tongue, Filipino, and English language, were significant in their demographic characteristics. It recommends that DepEd officials prioritize teachers' professional development that is tailored to their needs to continuously improve

Economics Teachers' Content Knowledge and Teaching Strategies Used to Teach Economics in Selected South African Schools

Economics is a subject offered at the Further Education and Training (FET) section in South Africa, the subject has recorded performance that is not impressive, and the low enrolment and statistics of pass rate are of major concern. Therefore this paper explores the teachers’ content knowledge and strategies used to teach Economics in some selected schools in South Africa. The paper adopts a qualitative approach to phenomenological research design. Purposive sampling techniques were used to select 12 teachers from six schools, two teachers from each school in Buffalo City Municipality in East London, South Africa. A semi-structured interview was used to elicit information from the respondents. The findings among others revealed that Economics is very useful to be a better citizen and to make rational life decisions, the use of the right pedagogy can improve performance, and the content knowledge with adequate on-the-job training will be a match in delivering the content of the subject. It is concluded that a low level of understanding of the basic Economics concepts could be attributed to less professional development training of Economics teachers in content knowledge and pedagogy. It is recommended among others that the Economics teacher have to strike a balance between theory and practice. Teachers should be innovative and improvise by using technological skills, they should move towards the use of technology as a tool to enable learners to become creative, empathetic and high-order thinkers in this digital world.

The role of specialised content knowledge in teaching basic life support

Objective: To investigate the role of specialised content knowledge in instructor training on the teaching and learning of basic life support (BLS) in secondary schools. Design: Cluster randomised controlled trial. Setting: Data were collected in three Flemish secondary schools during physical education classes. Method: Three secondary schools were randomly assigned to a 60-minute BLS instructor training without (one school, three teachers) or with (two schools, five teachers) a focus on recognising and addressing common errors. Knowledge of common errors in the performance of BLS and how to correct these is referred to as specialised content knowledge. Following instructor training, all teachers taught BLS lessons to different students. Teachers’ use of time and interactions were assessed by means of systematic observation. BLS performance was assessed individually and unannounced to students ( n = 294) one week following their training using a validated protocol. Results: On average, specialised content knowledge teachers interacted more with their students compared to common content knowledge teachers (8 vs 3 teacher interactions per lesson to the class as a whole, 43 vs 31 teacher interactions per lesson to students individually). In addition, students taught by specialised content knowledge teachers achieved significantly higher BLS scores (66% vs 61%; p < .05). Overall, average BLS performance of students correlated positively with the amount of time reserved for hands-on practice, r(21) = .51; p < .05. Conclusion: Specialised content knowledge (i.e. recognising and addressing common errors) should be part of BLS instructor training courses.

Empowering in-Service Higher Education Teachers in Content Knowledge and Teaching Skills through Interactive Andragogicaland Pedagogical Approaches

The article describes the application of interactive teaching for the enhancement of content knowledge and pedagogical skills of one hundred thirteen newly inducted college teachers of various disciplines engaged during twelve days of induction training by focusing on modules such as leaner's psychology, curriculum and student assessment, college governance, effective teaching strategies, life, communication and presentations skills, computer (technology) skills, micro-teaching, service rules, and budgeting. The trainees were divided into three sections, and the uniformity of the trainers was observed. A pre-test was conducted before starting the training on the proposed modules. After twelve days' training, it was imparted through interactive discussions, demonstrations, question-answer sessions, mini-projects, simulations, interactive technology, and micro-teaching sessions followed by a post-test. The pre and post-tests results were compared; the achievements/test scores reflect that after receiving training, the content knowledge and teaching skills of the newly inducted college teachers were enhanced to a great extent. The study suggests that induction training should be made mandatory for all the teachers before engaging them at the tertiary level, i.e., college and university, because it provides the required knowledge and skills through hands-on training. They lack actual classroom experience in higher education. The training ultimately brings a marked change in their professional attitude; hence, the ultimately goal, academic growth of students of colleges and universities, can be achieved by training them.

The TAWOCK conceptual model at content knowledge for professional teaching in vocational education

Now days, the integration of technology in the concept of learning is the trend in global education. The conceptual framework model is a general reference, and the only concept is Technology, Pedagogy, and Content Knowledge (TPACK). However, vocational education has knowledge of specific content, so adjusting conceptual models in professional learning is important to learn and offer. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the concept of TPACK into the concept of vocational education to improve the professionalism of vocational teachers in content knowledge. The author discusses the knowledge structure of vocational fields that are built based on work, content, technology, and the suitability of the learning approach. Based on the results of the article found a new construction in building knowledge in the field of vocational education with special expertise characteristics and shifting pedagogical concepts towards andragogy in learning concept. The results of the analysis recommend the TPACK concept transformed into the Technology, Andragogy, Work, and Content Knowledge (TAWOCK) concept in vocational learning.

Need Assessment for the Professional Development of Teachers in Content Knowledge of Instructional Planning and Strategies

In 2009 the National professional standards were introduced for teachersin Pakistan to determine a nationwide quality of teaching. Thesestandards focus on the quality of teacher preparation from this timeonwards; the present study was initiated to determine the needs of theworkforce who are already in the practical field and how they mayachieve the established standard. Therefore, in the light of the prescribedstandard “Instructional Planning and Strategies (IPS)”this articleinvestigated the levels of content knowledge of IPS possessed by theteachers in secondary schools; it further determined the difference in thecontent knowledge levels of urban & rural, male& female teachersregarding IPS. It was a survey type quantitative study with a populationspread of secondary school teachers (SSTs) working in the fourprovinces and Federal Capital. A multistage sampling procedure wasadopted to collect data from 400 SSTs belonging to the population area.The need of the in-service teachers for acquiring content knowledge ofIPS was gauged through a questionnaire based on seven indicators ofcontent knowledge given in the professional standards; the teachersfurther prioritized their training needs in these defined areas. Moreover,data triangulation was done to ensure the validity of the study. The indepthanalysis revealed that SSTs possessed different levels on eachindicator of content knowledge of IPS but a meager number wascompetent in it. Independent sample “t-test” was applied to calculate thedifference between content knowledge of IPS possessed by the male&female, urban& rural SSTs.

Forms of Knowledge of Advanced Mathematics for Teaching

1.IntroductionTeachers, particularly at the middle and secondary level, are frequently required to take advanced mathematics courses (e.g., real analysis, abstract algebra, etc.) as part of their teacher preparation program. This is based on a general sense of the importance of strong content knowledge for teachers. However, many teachers at some point question the relevance of these advanced courses for their future teaching careers (e.g., Zazkis & Leikin, 2010). Indeed, as Monk (1994) noted, the quantity of advanced mathematics preparation does not guarantee teaching quality; that is, one's own mathematical understanding does not necessarily translate into an ability to enhance the understanding of others. With the recent focus on practice-based approaches to conceptualizing teacher's mathematical knowledge (e.g., Ball, Thames, & Phelps, 2008; Petrou & Goulding, 2011) - which has led to documenting specific ways teachers use their knowledge of mathematics in their professional work - much more needs to be done to identify, define, and document how advanced mathematics may inform the actual work of teaching. Although this problem has been observed for a long time - Felix Klein (1932) made comments about this in the early 20th century - little progress has been made in this regard.In contrast to defining specific content areas in advanced mathematics or undergraduate course recommendations (e.g., CBMS 2001; 2012), this paper focuses instead on more general forms of knowledge of advanced mathematics that may be productive for the teaching of school mathematics. Following a grounded theory approach (e.g., Strauss & Corbin, 1990), we developed a framework of five forms of knowledge of advanced mathematics for teaching that, while not necessarily an exhaustive or exclusive list, moves the discussion of mathematical knowledge for teaching - particularly of advanced mathematics - beyond just listing what content teachers need to know, and toward a more general conception of how knowing advanced mathematics could positively interact with the work of teaching. We begin by reviewing related literature and situating this work within it.2.Literature2.1.Teachers' Knowledge of advanced MathematicsRecent efforts to conceptualize the mathematical knowledge required for teaching have incorporated practice-based approaches to teacher knowledge - that is, the content knowledge teachers need should be relevant for the practices and work of teaching. In particular, researchers have used this perspective to conceptualize different "domains" of knowledge, at both the elementary and secondary levels (e.g., Ball, Thames, & Phelps, 2008; McCrory, et al., 2012; Heid, Wilson, & Blume, 2015). Notably, many of these - and others' (e.g., Zazkis & Leikin, 2010)- allude to the importance of knowing advanced mathematics. For example, the Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching (MKT) framework (Ball, Thames, & Phelps, 2008) included the domain Horizon Content Knowledge (HCK), which is related the conversation about advanced mathematics (e.g., Wasserman & Stockton, 2013; Jakobsen, Thames, & Ribeiro, 2013; Zazkis & Mamolo, 2011); and in translating to secondary mathematics teaching, McCrory, et al. (2012) included knowledge of advanced mathematics as a domain of their Knowledge of Algebra for Teaching (KAT) framework. Heid, Wilson, and Blume (2015) described Mathematical Understandings for Secondary Teaching (MUST), which, although not connected explicitly to advanced courses, have connections to larger mathematical practices in the discipline which are often honed in courses such as abstract algebra, real analysis, or an introduction to proofs course. Thus, many regard advanced mathematics as important for teaching.However, finding explicit connections to practice has been more difficult. This fact is perhaps captured best by the "provisional" nature of the HCK domain - it was left lessdeveloped and less-defined than other parts of the MKT framework. …

The effect of a specialized content knowledge workshop on teaching and learning Basic Life Support in elementary school: A cluster randomized controlled trial

BackgroundResearch investigating the effect of specialised content knowledge (SCK) on teaching and learning Basic Life Support (BLS) is lacking. PurposeTo investigate the effect of a specialised content knowledge workshop on teaching behaviour, lesson context and student learning of BLS. Specialised content knowledge comprises knowledge of content progressions, skill analysis, and how to correct common errors. MethodsA cluster randomized controlled trial. Ten elementary teachers from three schools were assigned to a common content knowledge (n=4) and specialized content knowledge condition (n=6). Common content knowledge teachers received a 50-min BLS workshop focused on learning BLS. Next to learning BLS, specialised content knowledge teachers also practised the teaching of BLS focussing on skill progressions, skill analysis and how to correct common errors children would likely make. Teachers then taught one BLS lesson and their behaviour together with lesson context was collected through direct observation. BLS performance of 203 children (mean age: 11.3 years) was individually assessed immediately after the lesson. ResultsStudents taught by specialised content knowledge teachers spent more time practising BLS (57% vs 30%), were less engaged in cognitive activities (29% vs 55%) and achieved a significantly higher BLS performance (62% vs 57%) compared to students taught by common content knowledge teachers, P<.05. Specialised content knowledge teachers on average gave more feedback (31 vs 19). Discussion and conclusionThis study demonstrates that a 50-min workshop with a focus on specialised content knowledge impacted teachers’ in-class behaviour, which in turn significantly improved students’ BLS performance.

Expert views on TPACK for early literacy: Priorities for teacher education

Technology applications can make important contributions to improving learning outcomes in the domain of early literacy. However, to fully exploit the potential of educational technologies, teachers must have specific knowledge and skills. This study aimed to articulate the technological pedagogical content knowledge teachers need to make effective use of technology for early literacy. Through three rounds of expert consultation using a Delphi study approach, key priorities for the education of lower primary school teachers, especially those teaching kindergarten, were articulated. The results of the Delphi study show expert consensus on the importance of educating pre-service teachers about: electronic books and educative television; explicit goals and task-focused instructions using specific tools; how to shape technology-rich classroom interactions; and how to integrate computer activities in language teaching. Experts stress the importance of developing age-appropriate teaching skills and critical consideration of the value of technologies for specific learning goals. When this critical stance is lacking (e.g., using technology for entertainment, or substitution of existing activities), they recommend against technology use in kindergarten. These findings can help teacher education programs offer pre-service teachers adequate opportunities to develop the technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge needed for effectively using technology in the domain of early literacy.

Assessing Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching: The Role of Teaching Context

IntroductionMathematical Knowledge for Teaching (MKT) is the content knowledge used in recognizing, understanding, and responding to the mathematical problems and tasks encountered in teaching the subject (Ball & Bass, 2002; Ball, Thames & Phelps, 2008). Assessments of MKT are designed to measure the mathematical knowledge that teachers use in these teaching practices. A number of practice-based assessments of MKT have recently been developed for teachers of K-12 grades (Herbst & Kosko, 2014; Hill, Ball, & Schilling, 2008; Hill, Schilling, & Ball, 2004; Kersting, 2008; Krauss, Baumert, & Blum, 2008; McCrory, Floden, Ferrini-Mundy, Reckase, & Senk, 2012; Phelps, Weren, Croft, & Gitomer, 2014; Tatto et al., 2008).We follow Ball, Thames, and Phelps (2008) in defining MKT to include the full range of mathematics content knowledge used in teaching. The most widely assessed component of MKT is the common content knowledge that is taught and learned as part of regular schooling and is familiar to most adults. There is a long history of assessing teachers' common mathematical knowledge (Hill, Sleep, Lewis, & Ball, 2007). Often these assessment tasks look identical to those on student assessments because the construct is essentially the content of the student curriculum, either at grade level or at a level above the assigned grade (Phelps, Howell, & Kirui, 2015).MKT assessments have generally focused, however, on the specialized forms of content knowledge that only teachers need to use in the course of their day-to-day work (Ball et al., 2008). While definitions and focus vary in the literature, and the mapping of the MKT construct is likely somewhat dependent on curriculum and culture, most studies share a focus on MKT as a form of applied knowledge that goes beyond common content knowledge (Krauss et al., 2008; McCrory et al., 2012; Thompson, 2015; Turner & Rowland, 2008). MKT assessments typically present teachers with content tasks that are encountered in teaching, such as interpreting student thinking and work, selecting materials for instruction, explaining concepts and procedures, or evaluating whether to use a representation for a particular instructional purpose (Ball & Bass, 2002; Hill et al., 2004). And since these tasks often occur in complex instructional contexts, MKT assessments typically also provide key information about the teaching context, such as the learning goals that direct the teaching, details about a student's prior academic work, or how students are grouped and organized (Phelps et al., 2015). Assessments of MKT differ in how teaching practice is represented. Some provide written descriptions, while others incorporate video or animations depicting mathematics teaching (see, for example, Herbst & Kosko, 2014; Hill et al., 2004; Kersting, 2008). These features of context support test takers in recognizing the relevant aspects of the content task, understanding the content problem, or providing a response to the assessment question.This contextualization of MKT assessment tasks is in part theoretically motivated. Ball and Bass (2002) argue that how teachers encounter mathematics in their teaching directly shapes the nature of the mathematical knowledge that is needed. The context used in many MKT assessment tasks defines both what kinds of content knowledge teachers need to use and how they use this knowledge. Largely missing, however, from the current literature on MKT assessment are well-articulated design arguments that make clear the links between the construct and assessment task design (Mislevy & Haertel, 2006). Given the central role of teaching in MKT, it seems likely that any endeavor to assess MKT would require consideration of how context functions in the design of MKT tasks (Phelps et al., 2015).In this study, we take the first steps in this direction by presenting arguments and illustrations for how context functions in a set of elementary-level MKT assessment tasks, with a particular focus on how context enables tasks to measure MKT that goes beyond common content knowledge. …

Professional development in sub-Saharan Africa: what have we learned in Benin?

This paper explores the effectiveness of a technology education professional development (TEPD) program and factors impeding the implementation of such a program within the context of the Republic of Benin (West Africa). Professional development (PD) programs do not always take into account the specific disciplinary content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge teachers should learn to be able to reach the PD goals. The goals of the study were to identify effective design elements of TEPD for developing nations and to enhance secondary technology education teaching in Benin, as well as in similar developing countries. Within the context of Benin technology education, four all-day sessions of the TEPD were carried out with 51 secondary school science teachers. Qualitative data, comprising teachers’ after-session journals, after-session evaluation sheets, class observations and interviews with teachers and students, were collected during the PD program. Results indicated that participants’ technology education content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge were enhanced and that technology education lessons from the PD program were incorporated into teachers’ classroom practices.

Does Teacher Preparation Matter for Beginning Teachers in Either Special or General Education?

The current U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) emphasis on the preparation of teachers in content knowledge, and de-emphasis on pedagogy and teaching practicums, constitutes a major issue concerning how best to prepare a sufficient supply of highly qualified teachers. By contrast, federal policy represented by the 2001 No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) emphasizes both full certification and content knowledge. Our research was based on data from the Schools and Staffing Survey for beginning teachers in both special and general education (separately). Results showed that extensive preparation in pedagogy and practice teaching was more effective than was only some or no preparation in producing beginning teachers who (a) were fully certified, (b) secured in-field teaching assignments, and (c) reported being well prepared to teach subject matter and well prepared with respect to pedagogical skills. Thus, contrary to the USDOE perspective emphasizing preparation in content knowledge, extensive preparation in pedagogy and practice teaching contributed to the attainment of the two key NCLB indicators of a highly qualified teacher: full certification and in-field teaching.

Developing Measures of Content Knowledge for Teaching Reading

Abstract In this article we present results from a project to develop survey measures of the content knowledge teachers need to teach elementary reading. In areas such as mathematics and science, there has been great interest in the specialized ways teachers need to know a subject to teach it to others—often referred to as pedagogical content knowledge. However, little is known about what teachers need to know about reading to teach it effectively. We begin the article by discussing what might constitute content knowledge for teaching reading and by describing the survey items we wrote. Next, factor and scaling results are presented from a pilot study of 261 multiple‐choice items with 1,542 elementary teachers. We found that content knowledge for teaching reading included multiple dimensions, defined both by topic and by how teachers use knowledge in teaching practice. Items within these constructs formed reliable scales.