Students’ Perceptions of Their Science Teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge

Abstract Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) is a type of teacher knowledge to be developed by a teacher. PCK is said to contribute to effective teaching. Most studies investigated the development of PCK and its influence on students’ learning from the teachers’ perspectives. Only a limited number of studies have investigated the components of science teachers’ PCK that helped students’ learning from the perspective of students. Thus, it is the aim of this study to investigate the level of science teachers’ PCK from students’ perspective, in particular whether or not students of different achieving ability had different views of teachers’ PCK in assisting their learning and understanding. Based on the PCK research literature, six components of PCK have been identified, which were as follows: (1) subject matter knowledge, (2) knowledge of teaching strategies, (3) knowledge of concept representation, (4) knowledge of teaching context, (5) knowledge of students, and (6) knowledge of assessment in learning science. A questionnaire consisting of 56 items on a five-point Likert-type scale were used for data collection from 316 Form Four students (16 years old). One-way analysis of variance revealed that the differences in science teachers’ PCK identified by students of different achieving abilities were statistically significant. Overall, students of various academic achieving abilities considered all the components of PCK as important. The low-achieving students viewed all the components of PCK as being less important compared to the high and moderate achievers. In particular, low-achieving students do not view ‘knowledge of concept representation’ as important for effective teaching. They valued the fact that teachers should be alert to their needs, such as being sensitive to students’ reactions and preparing additional learning materials. This study has revealed that PCK of science teachers should be different for high and low-achieving students and knowledge of students’ understanding plays a critical role in shaping teachers PCK.

[1]  Gary D. Fenstermacher.  The Knower and the Known: The Nature of Knowledge in Research on Teaching , 1994 .

[2]  J. H. van Driel,et al.  The development of preservice chemistry teachers’ PCK , 2002 .

[3]  James B. Schreiber,et al.  The Power of Expectation , 2012 .

[4]  Jennifer King Rice,et al.  Teacher Quality: Understanding the Effectiveness of Teacher Attributes , 2003 .

[5]  David F. Treagust,et al.  The development of an instrument for assessing students' perceptions of teachers' knowledge , 2000 .

[6]  Jonah E. Rockoff.  The Impact of Individual Teachers on Student Achievement: Evidence from Panel Data , 2004 .

[7]  D. Muijs,et al.  Effective Teaching and Learning for Pupils in Low Attaining Groups. Research report DCSF-RR011 , 2007 .

[8]  Heather C. Hill,et al.  Effects of Teachers’ Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching on Student Achievement , 2005 .

[9]  Syh-Jong Jang.  Assessing college students’ perceptions of a case teacher’s pedagogical content knowledge using a newly developed instrument , 2011 .

[10]  Norman G. Lederman,et al.  Examining Pedagogical Content Knowledge , 2002 .

[11]  Valarie L. Akerson,et al.  Exploring Indian Secondary Teachers' Orientations and Practice for Teaching Science in an Era of Reform , 2011 .

[12]  S. Mandina.  Science teacher quality and effectiveness: Gweru Urban Junior Secondary School students’ points of view , 2012 .

[13]  Sandra K. Abell.  Twenty Years Later: Does pedagogical content knowledge remain a useful idea? , 2008 .

[14]  Onno De Jong,et al.  Preservice teachers' pedagogical content knowledge of using particle models in teaching chemistry , 2005 .

[15]  D. Muijs,et al.  Effective Teaching and Learning for Pupils in Low Attaining Groups , 2007 .

[16]  J. S. Oliver,et al.  Revisiting the Conceptualisation of Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK): PCK as a Conceptual Tool to Understand Teachers as Professionals , 2008 .

[17]  P. Grossman.  The Making of a Teacher: Teacher Knowledge and Teacher Education , 1990 .

[18]  Avi Hofstein,et al.  RESEARCH REPORT , 2004 .

[19]  Richard M. Ingersoll,et al.  The Problem of Underqualified Teachers in American Secondary Schools , 1999 .

[20]  Onno De Jong,et al.  The Development of Preservice Chemistry Teachers' Pedagogical Content Knowledge , 2002 .

[21]  Erdal Şenocak.  Development of an Instrument for Assessing Undergraduate Science Students’ Perceptions: The Problem-Based Learning Environment Inventory , 2009 .

[22]  H. Eshach,et al.  Do Junior High School Students Perceive Their Learning Environment as Constructivist? , 2013 .

[23]  Avi Hofstein,et al.  Providing High School Chemistry Students with Opportunities to Develop Learning Skills in an Inquiry-Type Laboratory: A Case Study. Research Report. , 2004 .

[24]  R. Weinstein,et al.  Classroom context, teacher expectations, and cognitive level: Predicting children's math ability judgments , 2013 .

[25]  Norman G. Lederman,et al.  Handbook of Research on Science Education , 2023 .

[26]  Agida G. Manizade,et al.  Using Delphi methodology to design assessments of teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge , 2011 .

[27]  P. Tamir.  Professional and personal knowledge of teachers and teacher educators , 1991 .

[28]  Kenneth Tobin,et al.  International handbook of science education , 1998 .

[29]  P. Mulhall,et al.  In search of pedagogical content knowledge in science: Developing ways of articulating and documenting professional practice , 2004 .

[30]  M. Wittrock.  Handbook of research on teaching , 1986 .

[31]  Rebecca Schneider,et al.  Science Teacher Learning Progressions , 2011 .

[32]  Lilia Halim,et al.  Developing pre-service science teachers' pedagogical content knowledge through action research , 2010 .

[33]  Rommel J. Miranda,et al.  Urban Public High School Teachers’ Beliefs about Science Learner Characteristics , 2006 .

[34]  William R. Veal,et al.  Pedagogical Content Knowledge Taxonomies , 1999 .

[35]  R. Chaplain,et al.  School Improvement: What Can Pupils Tell Us? , 1995 .

[36]  A. A. Adediwura,et al.  Perception of teachers' knowledge, attitude and teaching skills as predictor of academic performance in Nigerian secondary schools , 2007 .

[37]  L. Shulman.  Knowledge and Teaching: Foundations of the New Reform , 1987 .