Pedagogical Content Knowledge in Biology Teachers Resulting From Professional Development and Educative Curriculum

• In Event: Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK): Considering Models, Methods, and Recommendations From the PCK Summit

Abstract

We examined changes in teacher knowledge, skill, and practice as they related to student achievement before and after an intervention that involved educative curriculum materials and transformative professional development. Educative curriculum materials are those that provide support for teachers in thinking about: content beyond the level suggested for students; the recommended pedagogy; how students learn; and the relevance of the content to the broader community (Schneider & Krajcik, 2002). Transformative professional development disturbs the equilibrium between teachers’ existing beliefs and practices; provides time, contexts, and support for teachers to reflect and revise their thinking; connects professional development to teachers’ students and contexts; helps teachers develop practices that are consistent with their new understandings; and provides continuing help as teachers apply new understandings in their teaching practices (Thompson & Zeuli, 1999).

PCK is a unique knowledge base held by teachers that allows them to consider the structure and importance of an instructional topic, recognize the features that will make it more or less accessible to students, and justify the selection of teaching practices based on student learning needs. PCK is concept-specific (e.g., natural selection, energy, or chemical bonds) rather than domain-specific (e.g., biology, physics, or chemistry). PCK lies at the intersection of academic content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge. Within PCK we call these knowledge bases PCK-content knowledge (PCK-CK) and PCK-pedagogical knowledge (PCK-PK). PCK-CK includes accuracy of content knowledge, connections among topics and the nature of science, and use of multiple representations of a topic. PCK-PK includes a rationale linking teaching strategies to student learning, strategies for eliciting prior understandings and promoting reflection, and understanding how student variations impact instructional decisions.

Thirty-five secondary biology teachers participated in a two-year project in which they selected and implemented educative curriculum materials supported by transformative professional development. Teacher professional knowledge and skill was measured in terms of academic content knowledge (ACK), general pedagogical knowledge (GenPK), pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), and teacher practice. Data on these knowledge bases was collected two to five times across the project. Data on PCK was collected for five different biology concepts.

We developed the PRIME PCK Reflection and PRIME PCK Rubric to assess PCK among the participating teachers. The PCK Rubric was applied to written teacher reflections, teacher interviews, and videotaped lessons. Although we postulated that PCK is composed of three factors, Content Knowledge (PCK-CK), Pedagogical Knowledge (PCK-PK), and Contextual Knowledge (PCK-CxK), our PCK instrument identified only two factors within PCK: PCK-CK and PCK-PK. Teacher gains existed for all variables. Only GenPK had a significant relationship to teacher practice. ACK was the only variable that explained a substantial portion of student achievement. (463)

References:
Schneider & Krajcik (2002). Journal of Science Teacher Education, 13, 221-245.

Thompson & Zeuli (1999). In L. Darling-Hammond and G. Sykes (Eds.), Teaching as the learning profession. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass

Thompson, C., & Zeuli, J. (1999). The frame and the tapestry: Standards-based reform and professional development. In L. Darling-Hammond and G. Sykes (Eds.), Teaching as the learning profession. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass

Authors

• Janet Carlson, Stanford University

• Julie Gess-Newsome, Oregon State University - Cascades

• April Lynn Gardner, Biological Sciences Curriculum Study