A Review of Teachers' Pedagogical Content Knowledge and Subject Matter Knowledge for Teaching Earth System Concepts

Abstract

During the last three decades, earth science has been re-conceptualized as an interdisciplinary discipline entitled Earth System Science (ESS), which is based on knowledge of the physical earth system and human impact on the earth. While there is increasing effort to teach earth as a system in K-12 education, teachers' preparedness of to teach earth system is still in its infancy. This article focuses on reviewing the literature of teachers' knowledge of earth systems and of how teachers' knowledge of subject matter affects their teaching practice and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). First, the study investigated a literature of PCK in general as well as in science teaching. Then this study duscuss what teachers' subject matter knowledge (SMK) is and what it means to be in teaching earth system science. Third, a literature of teachers' knowledge of earth system was reviewed. Finally, a number of suggestions and implications are made as to what teacher education program should do to better prepare future teachers to teach earth systems.

The relevance of general pedagogical knowledge for successful teaching

“…That means that evidence on teacher knowledge and its use in teaching and lesson design is derived from the same data sources including portfolios, classroom observations or lesson plans. The use of integrated measurements as a sole indication of knowledge-in-action is not really feasible in quantitative research (Voss et al, 2015[24]; Vogelsang and Reinhold, 2013 [165]). If not combined with qualitative data or further quantitative data, such measures merely produce descriptive results of little value for the question about links between knowledge and teaching (see Annex B for two excluded examples).…”

Exploring Science Classes and Science Teachers of New York Using Professional Teaching Standards by Korean Teachers

“…NBPTS requires NY teachers to have a broad and current knowledge of science and science education, along with in depth knowledge of one of the subfields of science, which they use to set important and appropriate learning goals (NBPTS, 2003). Many teachers, however, sometimes demonstrate invalid content and hardly know the productive connections across the disciplines of their major, among other subject areas (Roehrig and Nam, 2011;Kwak, 2012). They even didn't realize their frequent mistakes and appeared to be not dedicated to inquiring their subject in greater depth.…”