Teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge of two specific historical contexts captured and compared (original) (raw)

Pedagogical Content Knowledge for World History Teachers: What is It? How Might Prospective Teachers Develop It

The Social Studies, 2010

This article takes up the question of world history teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge by reporting on two separate but related projects. In the first, we briefly discuss an empirical investigation one of the authors conducted into the ways that pre- and in-service world history teachers think about, organize, and make meaning of separate and discrete world historical events, first for themselves and then for their students. It demonstrates the value of world history teachers making multiple connections among world historical events from the biggest to the smallest ones to construct dynamic and coherent pictures of the past for themselves and their students. In the second project, we discuss our innovative history lab, a course designed to help undergraduates enrolled in a world history course “see” the pedagogical moves their world history instructors make. We designed this pedagogical history lab to foster future teachers’ understandings of the content knowledge needed to teach world history while they are learning world history as students.

R~~o~~~~~~=p T eacher pedagogical constructions: a reconfiguration of pedagogical content knowledge

A brief review of the history of pedagogical content knowledge reveals various definitions and concep-tualizations of the construct, as well as some conceptual problems. A new conceptualization-teacher pedagogical constructions-is offered to address some of the problems associated with PCK. Seven assertions that comprise the new conceptualization are presented, explained and defended. These a~e: (1) PCK represents personal and private knowledge; (2) PCK is a collection ofbasic units called tc;:acherpedagogical constructions; (3) teaeherpedagogical constructions resultmainlyfromplanning, but algo from the interactive and post-active phasesofteaching; (4) pedagogical constructions result from an inventive process that is intluenced by the interaction ofknowledge and beliefs from different categories; (5) pedagogical constructions constitute both a generalized event-based and a story-based kind ofmemory; (6) pedagogical constructions are topic specific; and (7) pedagogical constructions are (or should ideally be) labeled in multiple interesting ways that connect them to other categories and subcategories of teacher knowledge and beliefs. The proposed definition results from a recon-ceptualization of the nature of PCK as originally proposed, taking the results of major later studies and conceptualizations of PCK into consideration, appropriating new ideas about the structure of memory, and undertaking a reanalysis and presentation of data freID a previous study. The artide calls for viewing PCK as neither a subcategory of subject matter (subject matter knowledge for teaching) nor as a general generic forro ofknowledge. It presents a view ofPCK as a collection ofteacher professional constructions, as a forro ofknowledge that preserves the planning and wisdom of practice that the teacher acquires when repeatedly teaching a certain topic. Viewing PCK as a collection of TPCs, more precisely defining ir, darifying its relations to other knowledge and beliefs entities, and speculating about its development should facilitate future investigations of PCK.

Teacher pedagogical constructions: a reconfiguration of pedagogical content knowledge

2005

A brief review of the history of pedagogical content knowledge reveals various definitions and conceptualizations of the construct, as well as some conceptual problems. A new conceptualization—teacher pedagogical constructions—is offered to address some of the problems associated with PCK. Seven assertions that comprise the new conceptualization are presented, explained and defended.

The Knowledge of Teaching--Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK)

2015

Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) was first introduced by Shulman in the 80’s. It is defined as the integration or amalgamation of pedagogy and content which basically covers the ‘what’ and ‘how’ of teaching. PCK was considered as the missing paradigm in the study of teaching. This integration of knowledge was long searched by the scholars in the United States in their effort to elevate teaching to the professional status similar to that of doctor, lawyer and engineer. As PCK is the knowledge of teaching, this concept paper presents an overview on definitions of teaching, indicators and knowledge bases required in good teaching. This paper also presents the conceptions and models of PCK, the processes (PRA Model) involved in the growth and development of PCK of teachers and the importance of PCK.

A research model for the study of science teachers’ PCK and improving teacher education

Teaching and Teacher Education, 2007

In this article, a new research model for the study of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) is presented which aims to improve teacher education. This model called ''educational reconstruction for teacher education'' (ERTE) represents the framework for an integrative approach to the study of science teachers' topic specific PCK, which is a largely unexplored field. By integrating the PCK concept, originating in the American Curriculum tradition, into the German (Fach)didaktik tradition, this model adds a new perspective to (Fach)didaktik. This paper, therefore, also aims to clarify the PCK concept and its relation to Fachdidaktik. r

Primary school teachers’ interviews regarding pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and general pedagogical knowledge (GPK)

European Journal of Science and Mathematics Education

Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) and General Pedagogical Knowledge (GPK) are fundamental types of knowledge for a teacher that he or she must use in order to plan, teach in the classroom, and assess students' learning outcomes. This paper investigates experienced primary school teachers' PCK and GPK while teaching science in Finland and in Thailand. Teachers' interview data were analysed by using deductive and inductive content analysis. The analysis units were analysed according to the categories and sub-categories of PCK and GPK. In addition, the frequencies of all PCK and GPK sub-categories were counted and presented by country. The analysis revealed that the Finnish teachers had flexibility in their teaching: they did not have specific techniques with which to handle students; the techniques used depend on the situations occurring at the moment. There were no strict rules for student discipline in the class. They emphasised the teaching of concepts through textbook and computer materials. In Thailand, the teachers emphasised the teaching and learning of procedural knowledge and consequently used experimentation, along with authentic materials in the lab. There were student discipline problems in the classroom; therefore, rules were set up to cope with those problems.

An appraisal of Social Studies Teachers Perceptions of Teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge

Universal Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities

The study objective was to assess the perceptions of Junior High School (JHS) Social Studies teachers in the Yilo Krobo Municipality of the Eastern Region of Ghana on teachers' Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK). The study adopted Shulman's theory of Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) as its theoretical framework. The philosophical approach upon which the study is hinged on is the ideology of interpretivism and positivism, in other words, pragmatism. The study used a mixed methodological approach as well as a descriptive survey design. A random sampling technique was used for the study. The study participants were JHS social studies teachers in Yilo-Krobo Municipality, Ghana. Eighty (80) out of the one hundred and two (102) representing 78.43% JHS Social Studies teachers were selected from the fifty-four JHSs in the Municipality. Both Questionnaire and interview guide were used for data collection. The survey data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and the interview data was analyzed using content analysis. The study indicated that at the heart of the PCK concept is the idea that 'deep knowledge' of content is essential for effective teaching and cannot be taken for granted; that it has a significant bearing on teaching and student learning, and that it is used as a cadre to define professional teaching knowledge. PCK also provides the uniquely necessary knowledge for the transformation of the different types of knowledge required for Social Studies teaching and evolves over time due to the progressive awareness of students' needs, while a wealth of content knowledge is imperative for the development of a comprehensive pedagogical content knowledge. The paper recommends that the Ghana Education Service (GES) should conduct regular in-service training for teachers on the enhancement of their PCK, to enable them select appropriate TLMs and pedagogical approaches that foster meaningful learning for students.

An overview of the history teacher training programs of education faculties in Turkey from the perspective of pedagogical content knowledge

Journal of Innovative Research in Teacher Education, 2023

Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) is a field-specific pedagogical approach created by combining the "content knowledge" and "general pedagogical knowledge" bases, which was suggested by Lee Shulman in the mid-1980s and was considered sufficient in teacher training programs until then. It briefly constitutes the "teaching knowledge" knowledge base. This research aims to examine the vocational knowledge courses taught in the high school branch teacher training programs of the faculties of education in Turkey with the PCK dimension in the example of programs that train history teachers. The document review method, a qualitative research method, was used in the research. As a result of the research, it was understood that the vocational knowledge courses taught in the faculties of education in the 1983 program consisted of theoretical general pedagogy courses, as in the previous programs, the teacher training model was changed in 1997, and the courses taught were determined based on PCK. At the same time, an important place was allocated to the applied course hours. However, starting in 2006, a step back from this regulation was started, and the courses aimed at gaining PCK from the programs were reduced and these courses were replaced by general pedagogical courses as before, and the application hours of the courses were reduced. With the 2018 program change, the weight of PCK courses in the program was further reduced, while the practice hours were removed entirely.

Assessing pre-service history teachers' pedagogical content knowledge with a video survey using open-ended writing assignments and standardized rating items

History Education Research Journal 16 (1), 2019

This paper explores pre-service history teachers' ability to recognize and reflect on typical situations occurring in the history classroom and to link these to students' historical learning. Therefore, we draw on the concept of professional vision (Goodwin, 1994), which assumes that teachers need a professional knowledge base to monitor and to reason about teaching and student learning. Based on theoretical notions of teachers' pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), we investigated history teachers' professional vision by means of a video survey with integrated video clips, open-ended writing assignments and standardized item ratings. We collected data from 303 and 220 pre-service teachers at the beginning and at the end, respectively, of their subject-specific teacher training. The collected data open up the possibility of 'simultaneous triangulation' (Morse, 1991), which was used for test validation. First, we tested the reliability of the closed-ended test instrument using item response theory, in order to develop a feasible test model. Second, we investigated the validity of the test instrument by comparing test results with the findings of the open-ended writing task. In general, student teachers reached rather low test scores. They experienced difficulties in assessing classroom events in terms of their potential to support historical competencies and to evaluate the consequences for students' learning. Findings from the open writing assignment show that student teachers commented largely on generic teaching strategies while hardly noticing student learning. In sum, the chosen methodological approaches seem to contribute to a more distinct picture of pre-service teachers' abilities to reason about history teaching and learning.