Pedagogic Content Knowledge of Science: A Framework for Practice and Construct for Understanding Teacher Preparation

Abstract

Pedagogic Content Knowledge (PCK) is variously considered a useful framework, construct, model and tool to both understand and help form the knowledge base for teaching. There exists extant literature on the PCK of science. Building on this literature, this study aims to contribute towards an understanding of implementing curriculum reforms in teacher education in India, by means of sharing knowledge and practice of using a PCK of science framework in one context. The article reports a one-time face-to-face engagement for 60 hours with 17 student teachers of a Bachelor of Education (BEd) programme. The first section of the article describes the process of engagement. The second section, ‘Analysis of Student Teachers’ Ideas on Science Content’, presents a brief analysis of changes in student teachers’ understanding of the concepts under study, and in the third section, ‘Reflections of the Teacher Educator’, the author provides her reflections of the process of using PCK as a framework for engagement and understanding of PCK as a construct for teaching about teaching science.