Purpose:This study reports on our efforts toward extending the conceptual understanding of content development in physical education by validating content maps as a measurement tool, examining new categories of instructional tasks to describe content development and validating formulae that can be used to evaluate depth of content development.Method:The reliability, content, and concurrent validity of content maps and formulae were evaluated together with an application of the content maps and formulae. Descriptive statistics were used to report the data.Results:The reliability and validity of content maps was established. The new categories allowed for a finer analysis of content development. All formulae differentiated among different content expertise.Discussion/Conclusion:If depth of content knowledge is evidenced by tasks designed to refine, extend and apply student performance, then the content map, categories and formulae reported in this study provide tools that have utility for teachers, teacher educators and researchers.
Purpose: Instructional tasks are a form of content knowledge that can be defined as specialized content knowledge (SCK). We examined the changes in the use of instructional tasks and SCK index scores of preservice teachers from methods to final practicum. Method: Five preservice teachers were observed through the methods practicum where they taught a small group consisting of six to eight students and then through final practicum where they taught whole intact classes. A modified version of content development categories and formula to measure the depth of content development was used. SCK index scores of the preservice teachers created by the formula were used to compare the changes from methods with final practicum. Results: The results showed an increase in the mean SCK index scores of the preservice teachers from methods practicum to final practicum. The use of informing and extending-applying tasks decreased in the final practicum, while an increase occurred in the use of refining and applying tasks. Discussion/Conclusion: Increase in the mean SCK index scores seemed to reflect the strong SCK emphasis of the physical education teacher education program. It can be concluded that SCK can and should be taught to preservice teachers.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.