Domains of Subject Matter Knowledge

Purpose

What do teachers need to know about the subject they teach? The answer to this question has been inadequately examined in the physical education literature. This in turn has had significant policy implications for the way in which initial and continuing physical education teacher education programs are constructed, and in turn how physical education is practiced in schools.

Methods

Drawing on findings from five research studies using qualitative (n= 1) and quantitative methods (n=2 experiments and n= 2 descriptive studies) with participants who were either practicing teachers (n = 16) or preservice teachers and non-teachers (n= 160).

Analysis/Results

I provide a synthesis and discussion of results and implications of these studies.

Conclusions

Two major findings are discussed. First, a distinction needs to be made between knowing how to perform and knowing what to teach as sub-categories of subject matter knowledge. Much of our teacher education programming is predicated on structuring experiences that promote knowing how to perform an activity, which, while necessary, is an insufficient knowledge base that would allow one to teach the activity. Second, subject matter knowledge can be considered to consist of four domains: knowledge of rules and etiquette, knowledge of technique and/or tactics, knowledge of errors, and knowledge of teaching progressions. Teaching and assessment of subject matter knowledge must differentiate among these domains. These findings has significant implications for the conduct of initial and continuing professional development