Teachers' professional knowledge is considered one of the most important predictors of instructional quality. According to Shulman, such professional knowledge includes content, pedagogical content and pedagogical knowledge. Although recent research shed some light on the structure of the dimensions of professional knowledge, little is known how teacher education impacts pre-service physics teachers' professional knowledge. In an effort to address this issue, we examined the content, pedagogical content and pedagogical knowledge of N = 200 pre-service physics teachers enrolled in different years of teacher education at 12 major teacher education universities in Germany. We used structural equation modelling (1) to examine the relations amongst pre-service physics teachers' content, pedagogical content and pedagogical knowledge, (2) to explore how the three kinds of knowledge and their relations differ across different stages of teacher education and (3) to identify factors affecting the level of each component of professional knowledge. Our findings suggest that content, pedagogical content and pedagogical knowledge represent distinct types of knowledge. Furthermore, our findings show that in the first years of professional education, pedagogical content knowledge is more closely related with general pedagogical knowledge while in later years, it is more closely related with content knowledge, suggesting that it develops from a general knowledge about teaching and learning into knowledge about the teaching and learning of specific content. Finally, beyond school achievement and years of enrolment as predictors, we find in particular the amount of classroom observations to have a positive impact on the professional knowledge of pre-service physics teachers. ARTICLE HISTORY

The relevance of the study capacity for success in introductory physics courses Abstract Physics courses at German universities show above-average drop-out rates. Yet there is little empirical evidence concerning characteristics, which facilitate academic success. Based on theoretical considerations and empirical findings regarding the influence of cognitive and content-specific characteristics of the study capacity on academic success, this study surveyed N = 158 freshmen at a German University. The influence of the predictors on the probability to succeed in the exam was evaluated using logistic regressions. It was found, that with the final school exam grade and the last physic grade the success of 87 % of the participants could be classified correctly. The prior physics knowledge however didn't improve this prediction. Looking at the examination grades of the successful participants using multiple linear regressions, the prior physics knowledge was the only significant predictor. So differences in the prior knowledge could be compensated to a certain degree during the first semester. To support all students in an optimal manner the existing supporting arrangements like tutorials or preparatory courses need to be extended beyond discussing only physics content.

This study investigates the relationships between professional knowledge, self‐concept, and interest of pre‐service physics teachers. In order to support student learning and interest development alike, teachers need a profound professional knowledge and respective motivational orientations. Developing both professional knowledge and motivational orientations in teachers is therefore a key challenge of teacher education. Prior research has focused on the development of content knowledge (CK) and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) within teacher education, but the role of motivational orientations such as self‐concept and interest have mostly been neglected areas of study. As individuals develop domain‐specific motivational orientations, they compare their achievement in an external frame to the achievement of their peers, and they compare their achievements in an internal frame across domains. The effects of these psychological processes on domain‐specific motivational orientations are described by the generalized internal/external frame of reference model (GI/E model). We assessed the professional knowledge (CK and PCK) and motivational orientations (self‐concept and interest) of N = 200 pre‐service physics teachers from 12 teacher education institutes in Germany. To investigate the predictions of the GI/E model, we utilized structural equation modeling. In line with the GI/E model, the analysis revealed that pre‐service teachers use social comparisons. Pre‐service teachers with a higher CK/PCK also showed a higher CK/PCK self‐concept. We also identified instances of internal comparisons as we found that a high level of CK corresponds with a lower PCK self‐concept. While we could not identify the same effects from professional knowledge on interest, self‐concept mediated the effects from professional knowledge on interest. The results suggest that interdependencies between professional knowledge and motivational orientation should be given more consideration in teacher education research and should also be addressed more explicitly in teacher education.

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