Instruments to Access the Chemistry Pedagogical Content Knowledge: An Integrative Review

Abstract

This research presents an integrative review about the methodological procedures adopted in the research of the Chemistry PCK, with the aim of identifying the data collection instruments used to explain the PCK in this field, seeking to observe its frequency of use and also contribute to the advancement of knowledge established by previous reviews. 89 articles published in magazines well evaluated by CAPES were selected, indexed to the Scopus (Elsevier) database. The treatment of the data was based on the technique of content analysis, resulting in six categories constructed a posteriori: a) period of publications; b) country of origin of the research; c) relationship to a specific topic; d) the teaching experience of the target audience; e) research approach and data collection instruments; and f) the use of PCK models as a theoretical framework. The results suggest a methodological predominance of a qualitative nature, with interviews, field diaries, observation of the practice, and questionnaires some of the most used instruments. Besides, a trend related to the specification of topics in the Chemistry discipline can be identified, as well as the lack of clarity regarding the variety of PCK models present in the literature and the failure to adopt these as a theoretical basis in most of the research studies analysed. There is also an express need to investigate the PCK of Chemistry teachers in practice in higher education since the results reinforce the scarcity of papers for this specific audience. Keywords: chemistry teaching, data collection instruments, professional knowledge, teacher training, teacher’s knowledge