Content Knowledge, Pedagogical Content Knowledge, and Student Learning

Thursday, March 15, 2012: 4:45 PM
Room 204 (Convention Center)
Insook Kim, Western Illinois University, Macomb, IL

Background/Purpose Ward's (2010) functional definition of PCK has allowed researchers to observe and measure PCK; however, several questions remain unanswered relative to PCK. The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of a CK workshop on teachers' PCK and student achievement in a badminton unit.

Method A quasi-experimental design with two middle school PE teachers as a block was used. The change of students' correct, incorrect, and other trials on skills and tactics using a live coding method was examined before and after a badminton CK workshop. The subsequent teachers' PCK variables (i.e., task maturity, task appropriateness, and task adaptations) were measured by a video analysis method.

Analysis/Results The results of the descriptive statistics (i.e., means and ranges) and inferential statistics (i.e., non-parametric test) on student data showed that the improved teachers' PCK as a function of CK influence the increase of student's correct trials and the decrease of students' incorrect trials. The results of the descriptive analysis of teacher data showed that teachers' maturity of task representations was changed from immature to mature as a function of teachers' CK. Teachers selected more developmental and principle appropriate tasks as well as presented more task adaptations between and within the tasks after the CK workshop.

Conclusions The findings of the study indicated that PCK can be described as a continuum of effective to ineffective instruction as well as immature to mature tasks. The research suggests the reform of teacher education programs to promote teachers' CK and PCK.