Developing Preservice Secondary Science Teachers' Pedagogical Content Knowledge Through Subject Area Methods Courses: A Content Analysis

As teachers are being viewed as critical agents of educational change, conceptions and approaches of how to prepare teachers are changing. Among these changing conceptions of teacher preparation, the kinds of knowledge prospective teachers need to develop so as to be effective at teaching are often at the center of the debates. Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) is considered a crucial part of the knowledge base for teaching and was anticipated to have the greatest impact on teachers' classroom actions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the extent to which science methods courses help prospective teachers to develop PCK. A content analysis method was used. Course modules and assessment tools were the sources of data for this study. The objectives and the subtitles of the sections of modules and items of course assignments and final exams were analyzed. The observations were coded against the 3 knowledge bases of teaching. The observations that were coded as PCK were further coded in terms of the 5 components of PCK along with important descriptors that were later used for analysis. The results of this study showed that the courses did not adequately foster preservice teachers' PCK. Despite an awareness of the purposes of the courses that was evident in the formulation of objectives and the preliminary notes in the introductory parts of the course modules, the elements of the courses as a whole were very far from helping preservice teachers develop PCK for teaching secondary school science subjects. Moreover, of those elements of the courses that were identified as fostering PCK, the knowledge of instructional strategies component was given due emphasis and the knowledge of assessment in science component was seldom addressed. The findings imply a need to rethink ways of preparing curriculum materials in light of PCK and also rethink the pathways of becoming a teacher educator.