Developing Science Teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge
This article discusses the concept of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) within the context
of science teaching. First, an attempt is made to define this concept within the tradition of research on
teachers’ craft knowledge and to identify possible purposes of research on PCK. From this point of view,
recent research on science teaching is investigated. This investigation identifies teaching experience as the
major source of PCK, whereas adequate subject-matter knowledge appears to be a prerequisite. Finally, an
empirical study is presented which focuses on PCK with respect to a specific topic—that is, chemical equilibrium.
The effects on teachers’ PCK of participation in an in-service workshop and conducting an experimental
course in classroom practice are reported. This leads to the identification of elements of PCK
teachers can use to promote student understanding. It is concluded that research on topic-related PCK may
complement research on student learning of specific topics.
The concept of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) was introduced by Shulman in a paper
in which he argued that research on teaching and teacher education has undeservedly ignored
research questions dealing with the content of the lessons taught (Shulman, 1986). The
concept of PCK refers to teachers’ interpretations and transformations of subject-matter knowledge
in the context of facilitating student learning. Notably, PCK encompasses understanding
of common learning difficulties and preconceptions of students. As many of the latter have been
revealed by research on student learning, submitting PCK to scientific inquiry offers an opportunity
to link research on teaching with research on learning.
This article revolves around the question of to what extent PCK has become or may become
a valuable concept within the field of research on science teaching. The article consists of
three main sections. First, we will concisely review the literature on teachers’ craft knowledge
and PCK with respect to teaching in general. This section mainly serves to clarify the concept
of PCK and to identify possible purposes of research on PCK. The second section discusses the
literature on teachers’ craft knowledge and PCK within the domain of science education. Finally,
in the third section, an example of an empirical study is presented. This study focuses on thedevelopment of teachers’ PCK with respect to a specific topic (i.e., chemical equilibrium) within
the context of an in-service program.