scholarly journals Conceptualizing content-related PD facilitator expertise

Author(s):  
Susanne Prediger ◽  
Bettina Roesken-Winter ◽  
Rebekka Stahnke ◽  
Birte Pöhler

AbstractStudies of facilitators of professional development (PD) for mathematics teachers have been increasing in order to improve their preparation for conducting PD. However, specifications of what facilitators should learn often lack a conceptualization that captures facilitators’ expertise for different PD content. In this article, we provide a framework for facilitator expertise that is in line with current conceptualizations but makes explicit the content-related aspects of such expertise. The framework for content-related facilitator expertise combines cognitive and situated perspectives and allows unpacking different components at the PD level and the classroom level. Using two illustrative cases of different PD content (probability education in primary school and language-responsive mathematics teaching in secondary school), we exemplify how the framework can help to analyze facilitators’ practices in content-related ways in a descriptive mode. This analysis reveals valuable insights that support designers of facilitator preparation programs to specify what facilitators should learn in a prescriptive mode. We particularly emphasize the importance of working on content-related aspects, unpacking the PD content goals into the content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge elements on the classroom level and developing facilitators’ pedagogical content knowledge on the PD level (PCK-PD), which includes curricular knowledge, as well as knowledge about teachers’ typical thinking about a specific PD content. Situated learning opportunities in facilitator preparation programs can support facilitators to activate these knowledge elements for managing typical situational demands in PD.

2005 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Bridgette Bond Almond Stevens

In this study I examined the role of collaboration, curriculum, and the classroom context in the development of pedagogical content knowledge of a mathematics teaching intern. Additionally, I investigated the nature of the collaborative process between the teaching intern and his mentor teacher as they collaborated on action (during structured planning time) and in action (while students were present). The teaching internship resided in a seventh-grade mathematics classroom during the teaching of a probability unit from a standards-based curriculum, Connected Mathematics Project. Using existing research, a conceptual framework was developed and multiple data sources (audio taped collaborations, observations of the intern's teaching practices, semi-structured interviews, and a mathematics pedagogy assessment) were analyzed in order to understand the teaching intern's development of knowledge of instructional strategies, knowledge of student understandings, curricular knowledge, and conceptions of purpose for teaching probability.Results identified numerous dilemmas related to planning and implementing instruction. Although the teaching intern developed pedagogical content knowledge, he often experienced difficulty accessing it while teaching. Through collaboration, curriculum, and the classroom context, the teaching intern learned to incorporate his pedagogical content knowledge in instruction. Analysis revealed that as he gained new knowledge he was able to shift his focus from content to the use of instructional strategies for teaching and learning. The curriculum was the primary focus of collaboration and initiated the intern's examination of the learning-to-teach process. Collaboration on action and collaboration in action proved to be essential elements in the development of pedagogical content knowledge.


2012 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-57
Author(s):  
Gunilla Mattsson

In Sweden there is presently a discussion about the benefit of pedagogical content knowledge for teachers in compulsory school. The results of the study indicate that the pupils get an increased interest in technology, which is positively correlated to the didactic competence of the teachers in technology. This competence is strongly connected to the teachers’ formal studies in technology education.Their teaching increased the interest of the pupils in technology and in choosing technology for upper secondary school. The educated teachers also presented teaching much more in accordance with the Swedish curriculum Lpo94 than the non-educated teachers.


2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Panagiotis K. Stasinakis ◽  
Michail Kalogiannnakis

In this study we aim to find out whether a training program for secondary school science teachers which wasorganized based on the model of Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK), could improve their individual PCK for aspecific scientific issue. The Evolution Theory (ET) and the Natural Selection (NS) were chosen as the scientificissues of interest. Both of them are fundamental in biology teaching, especially the ET which can be taught as aunifying theory of biology. The individual PCK of teachers can be improved by strengthening its components:knowledge, pedagogy and managing the context. The principals and content of the seminar were decided based onthe results of another study among Greek teachers for the characteristics of their PCK about ET, NS and Nature OfScience (NoS). The seminar involved 16 secondary school teachers. We found that all trainees improved theirindividual PCK and felt adequate to teach more effectively the ET and the NS to their students. All participantsthrough the activities they performed, moved to a more constructive and learner-centered teaching style compare towhat they used to do before the training program.


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