Pedagogical Content Knowledge in Science Teaching
Resources on PCK in the Science Classroom
- Bibliography on PCK
- Bibliography on Pedagogical Content Knowledge in Science
- Frameworks for representing science teachers' pedagogical
content knowledge
What is PCK? According to Shulman (1986)
, PCK includes "the most useful forms of representation of [topics],
the most powerful
analogies,
illustrations, examples, explanations, and demonstrations
- in a word, the ways of representing and formulating the subject that
make it comprehensible to others ...Pedagogical
content knowledge also includes an understanding of what makes the learning
of specific topics easy or difficult: the conceptions and preconceptions
that students of different ages and backgrounds bring with them to the
learning of those most frequently taught topics and lessons."
Pedagogical content knowledge is an accumulation of common elements;
• Knowledge of subject matter
• Knowledge of students and possible misconceptions
• Knowledge of curricula
• Knowledge of general pedagogy.
PCK is knowing what, when, why, and how to teach using a reservoir of knowledge of
good
teaching practice and experience.