Pedagogical context knowledge: Toward a fuller understanding of what good science teachers know

TLDR

The study proposes a codified model of teacher knowledge for school science teaching, synthesizing existing literature on teachers’ knowledge. The pedagogical context knowledge model defines four knowledge domains—academic and research, pedagogical content, professional, and classroom—and is applied to interview data from science teachers to examine lesson design and implementation. Analysis indicates the model is robust, offering a simple, rapid, yet effective and efficient tool for assessing teachers’ views and underlying knowledge. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Sci Ed 85: 426–453.

Abstract

Abstract A codified model of teacher knowledge, situated in school science teaching, is proposed as a synthesis of a number of models, metaphors, and notions already described in the literature about teachers' knowledge. This model, called pedagogical context knowledge , suggests that in discussion of their classroom practice, exemplary science teachers utilize four kinds of knowledge: academic and research knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, professional knowledge, and classroom knowledge. The model is used to examine data collected through interviews with science teachers about the ways in which they design and implement science lessons. Analysis of the data shows that the model is sufficiently robust to provide a simple and rapid, yet effective and efficient way of examining teachers' views and the knowledge base in which they are embedded. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Sci Ed 85: 426–453, 2001.