Pedagogical content knowledge

Bucat, R. (2004). Pedagogical content knowledge as a way forward. Chemistry Education Research andPractice, 5(3), 215-228. 

Koehler, M. J. Mishra, P. (2005). What happens when teachers design educational technology The development of teehnologieal pedagogical content knowledge. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 32(2), 131-152. 

Bucat RB (2004) Pedagogical content knowledge as a way forward Applied research in chemistry education. Chem Educ Res Prac, 5 215-228... 

More recently, Harrison (2001) interviewed 17 Australian teachers (5 of them of chemistry) to investigate the differences between experienced and pre-service teachers pedagogical content knowledge with respect to the models they use to explain science. One of the findings of this study was the contrast between the few teaching models volunteered by chemistry teachers and the overabundance of such models found in the chemistry textbooks to which their students have access. 

Because of this, the authors recognised the need to revise their module to emphasise both teachers initial content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge about models and modelling and adequate ways of presenting models to students. 

There have been very few initiatives to promote the development of teachers pedagogical content knowledge in this area. It seems that the outcomes of the current research on teachers (and students ) views and uses of models and modelling in chemical education, as well as the consideration of the role of models and modelling in the development of specific chemical knowledge, may lead to interesting proposals for curriculum development. 

Van Driel, J. H., Verloop, N., De Vos, W. (1998). Developing science teachers pedagogical content knowledge. Journal of Research in Science Teaching 35(6). 673-695. 

Current research (Harrison, 2000) shows that some of the particle alternative conceptions held by students, as reported earlier, also are held by Grade 8-10 science teachers. Lacking the intrinsic pedagogical content knowledge to teach chemistry in a way that maintains interest and concept learning, teachers are constrained to plan and teach from the textbook (already shown to be a source of alternative conceptions - Harrison, 2001). Most of these teachers are expert in their own domain but are non-chemistry... 

In the case of the teaching of chemical kinetics, the use of computers in all the ways hriefly commented on above would constitute another research focus. It would be interesting to investigate whether the anticipated successes of the use of computers in teaching would be realised at different school levels, whether students understanding of specific features of chemical kinetics would really be improved by the formation of dynamic mental models of the phenomena and what it would mean in terms of the development of teachers pedagogical content knowledge. 

Clermont C.P., Krajcik, J.S. Borko, H. (1993). The influence of an intensive in-service workshop on pedagogical content knowledge growth among novice chemical demonstrators. Journal of Research in Science Education, 30,21-43. 

Geddis, A.N. (1993). Transforming subject-matter knowledge The role of pedagogical content knowledge in learning to reflect on teaching. International Journal of Science Education, 15,673-683. 

Gess-Newsome, J. (1999). Secondary teachers knowledge and beliefs about subject matter and their impact on instruction. In J. Gess-Newsome and N.G. Lederman (Eds.), Examining pedagogical content knowledge (pp. 51-94). Dordrecht, The Netherlands Kluwer Academic Publishers. 

Marks, R. (1990). Pedagogical content knowledge From a mathematical case to a modified conception. Journal of Teacher Education, 41, 3-11. 

Millar, M. L. Nakhleh, M. B. (2001). Enriching the pedagogical content knowledge of preservice chemistry teachers. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching, St. Louis, USA. 

Veal, W.R. MaKinster, J. (1999). Pedagogical content knowledge taxonomies. Electronic Journal of Science Education, 3 (4). Available at... 

J. Gess-Newsome and N.C. Lederman (eds.) Examining Pedagogical Content Knowledge. The Construct and its Implications for Science Education. 1999... 

She has extensive experience of chemical education gained through teaching in London and Hull, and a previous lectureship at the Institute of Education, University of London. Vanessa was the Royal Society of Chemistry s Teacher Eellow 2001-2002. Her current research interests include pedagogical content knowledge for science teaching and post-16 chemistry education. 

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