6.3. Kinds of teacher knowledge that is learnt in Commerce Teachers’ Association
6.3.2. Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK)
In terms of PCK, Grossman (1990) maintains that teachers need to psychologise their subject matter for teaching, to rethink disciplinary topics to make them accessible to students. In other words, teachers need to know what makes the learning of any particular topic easy or difficult. There is little evidence that suggests a focus on PCK during the revision workshops. The Commerce teachers did not discuss their beliefs about the purpose of teaching each of the Commerce subjects at different grades such as grade 10 and 11. The focus of the workshops is specifically on grade 12 revision strategies in preparation for the final examination. Another aspect of PCK is the knowledge of students’ understanding, conceptions and misconceptions of any particular topic in a subject matter (Grossman 1990, p.8). The two Business Studies teachers reported that they had learnt essay writing skills and how to structure an essay. They learnt the essay writing skills in a Business Studies
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workshop which was facilitated by an expert from another district. Celokuhle externalizes what he learnt in this manner:
Our essays are out of 40 marks, we have got a layout and the structure the children need to follow. You start by writing the introduction where you have to give 3 points in order to get 3 marks. The body of the essay must have subheadings and the essay has to end with a conclusion.
Learners should take 25 minutes to write for 40 marks.
This quote seems to be in line with the knowledge of the curriculum and particularly the assessment guidelines in the curriculum. According to Grossman (1990) curriculum knowledge is part PCK.
There is evidence from one Business Studies teacher that she has knowledge about what causes some of her learners not to understand the topic (Porters). She realized that her Business Studies learners that were taking the subject within the general stream did not understand the topic because they are not familiar Commerce concepts.
In relation to the Business Studies topic on Porters, the same teacher, Sebenzile says that she acquired instructional strategies for teaching this topic
(The) facilitators have given me ways how teach Porters, they have made it practical to even take learners and their home situation and put it in a classroom situation and make them understand Porters to be really applicable so it has helped a lot. (Interview held on the 23rd September 2013)
When Sebenzile says that the Business Studies facilitators have provided ways to teach Porters, it relates to her knowledge of instructional strategies and representations for teaching a particular topic (Grossman 1990, p.9). In this case Porter is the topic which she has learnt to teach. However, the findings do not indicate how she learnt the instructional strategies.
According to Grossman (1990) the instructional strategies and representations for teaching any particular topic are a component of PCK.
There is also evidence from Celokuhle, the chairperson, that curricular knowledge is a component of PCK. Grossman (1990) highlights that curricular knowledge includes knowledge of curriculum materials available for teaching particular subject matter, and knowledge about the horizontal and vertical curricula for a subject. Celokuhle, responding to the question about what he has learnt in Commerce Teachers’ Association that makes him a better teacher, says:
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In all the sections for my subject I know exactly how to teach it and I know the way to make learners understand it. Through the Commerce Teachers’
Association I know the easy ways to make learners understand. I know now which resources to use which make it easier because certain textbooks are hard for the children. I know which textbook to use for a certain topic in Business Studies and Economics. I use notes from the Commerce Teachers’ Association.
Celokuhle draws upon his knowledge to select from available textbooks for teaching particular subject matter in a way that will help his learners understand. This quote also points to the knowledge and beliefs concerning learning and learners (general pedagogical knowledge) when Celokuhle says that certain textbooks are hard for the children. Similarly, Commerce teacher number 33 (C33) responded in the survey that she acquired knowledge of how to choose textbooks for the learners.
Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) knowledge
There is evidence from the data that at least one Commerce teacher has learnt how to use the CAPS documents. For example one of the sixteen teachers who responded to the survey question about valuable learning opportunities:
C20: I got assistance on how to meet matric needs and to be on line with subject policies, CAPS.
This statement, made by Commerce teacher No.20, is in line with curriculum knowledge which is the understanding of principles underpinning the curriculum.
Skills to revise with grade 12 learners
Participants felt that workshops organized by the Commerce Teachers’ Association enabled them to acquire different skills such as revision strategies, how to teach learners to tackle examination questions and examination expectations. This was evident from the survey, for example Commerce teachers no 03 and 41 wrote in response to the question concerning what they had learnt:
C03: Essay writing skills, analysing and answering question. Linking marks and answers.
C41: Techniques on how to tackle some questions during exam; and expectations during the exam.
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The skills to revise with grade 12 learners were also evident in Celokuhle and Sebenzile when they were talking about their valuable learning in the activities (workshops) of the Commerce Teachers’ Association. For example, the Secretary said
…it helped us with essay writing skills because that was a challenge in Business Studies.
The above mentioned survey and interview excerpts seem to suggest that PCK was learnt in order to improve learners’ performance in the grade 12 final examination. Acquiring of skills to revise with grade 12 learners is in line with the object of the Economics revision workshop.