5.4 Learning from the PGCE core modules and specialisation modules
5.4.5 Pedagogical content knowledge
Pedagogical content knowledge is a crucial component of the knowledge base of teachers.
The literature showed that knowledge is important for teaching subject matter. (Grossman, 1990; Shulman, 1986). In the part-time PGCE it is assumed that students already acquired content knowledge from their primary degree and the teaching programme therefore only focuses on the pedagogical content knowledge and general pedagogical knowledge for teaching. The PGCE is not expected to develop the subject knowledge of the student teachers but to equip them with the specialised skills and knowledge needed for teaching.
More than half of the students learned pedagogical content knowledge from the specialisation modules. Sam shared his opinion on his learning from the specialisation modules.
Yes, there’s a lot of content. I have gained a lot. Especially in terms of the theories that are applied in teaching practice and to understand what teaching really is? Theories of teaching accounting and the way of assessing the learner, because if you know that you need to assess them give them assignments, tests….
So the way of assessing learners and how to look for the learner’s progress I have learned that from the specialisation modules.
Sam has acquired knowledge and skills from the theories of how to teach Accounting. From what he said it appears as though he learned GPK from the programme. He also has a clear conception of how to assess learners and check the progress of the learners in Accounting.
Lily explains that, although she gained pedagogic content knowledge from the specialisation module, she feels the depth of the content should have been much greater. She noted that the time allocated to the specialisation modules was inadequate as they were rushed through the topics. This means that there was not enough time and so much to cover. As a result, she partially lacked confidence in teaching these topics. She expressed these feelings in her report:
The specialisations did help in the sense that as I said knowing the policy, knowing the curriculum, but it could have been more intense. I wish there was more that we could learn from it, I suppose it was short I felt.
Yes, and probably ideas on how to make it easier for the learners. How to make it easier for us to give it/to teach the learners you know because I felt lacking in that regard. And even Genetics the problems are difficult, but make it an easier way so that we can teach learners. We did cover it but not enough.
Considering that she is a Senior Phase Natural Science teacher, she felt more could have been done in terms of time allocation. They should have gone deeper into PCK in order for them to gain much more confidence in teaching. She also suggested that more teaching skills, that is GPK, should have been more thoroughly dealt with in Life Sciences and Natural Sciences.
Although GPK was covered, more could have been done, since she felt it was not adequately covered.
Kim believed that she learned general pedagogical knowledge from their specialisation modules and not content knowledge:
I learned how to calm my learners down, how to focus them towards learning. I also learned that the whole idea of concept of learning something is not the teacher teaching it to the child, but the child understanding it on its own.
Learning can only be done through the senses, when the child actively works with it, whether it’s a Maths problem, whether it’s an experiment, whether it’s something in science, the child needs to break it down on its own.
One teacher was silent about the issue, while Jane claimed that she did not learn anything from her Arts and Culture specialisation module. Jane expressed feelings of disappointment that she had not actually benefitted from the Arts and Culture specialisation modules, even though she had been looking forward to them in terms of pedagogic content knowledge and general pedagogic content knowledge. Jane said:
I was disappointed in Arts and Culture specifically because that is what I was teaching in school and I thought, what a brilliant opportunity for me to be
….teaching it and learning about and hopefully this is going to inform me, give me ideas, fresh inspirations and different approaches and maybe I can pick up on some interesting tasks that I can give my kids and how to integrate Art, Music and Drama and nothing, there was absolutely nothing.
She claims that she did not learn anything from the Arts and Culture specialisation modules, for various reasons. Firstly, Jane seemed to find the specialisation content module somehow not as challenging as she expected, since she has a Masters degree in Fine Art. Secondly she appears to have had high learning expectations of the specialisation subject and her expectations were not fulfilled. Lastly, Arts and Culture as a subject is based more on practical knowledge than theoretical knowledge and she did not get the expected content knowledge and pedagogic content knowledge. This is clearly outlined in the Revised National Curriculum Statement, that the main purpose of this learning area subject is to provide a general education in Arts and Culture for all learners and the intention of the Arts and Culture learning area is to provide exposure and experience for learners in Dance, Drama, Music, Visual Arts, Craft, Design, Media and Communication, Arts Management, Arts Technology and Heritage (Department of Education, 2002).
This study revealed that most teachers learned GPK, which is teaching strategies, from the PGCE programme. They learned things like lesson delivery, teaching from known to unknown and learner centred teaching. They acknowledged that after learning GPK from the
programme their teaching was easier than before. They gained professional knowledge essential for their teaching and this made their jobs easier. In terms of assessment they learned and acquired skills and strategies useful for assessment. These were the methods, tools and techniques used in all forms of assessment. They understood the objective of assessing students in learning. From their specialisation modules, teachers indicated that they learned content knowledge and PCK. The knowledge of the context appeared to be important for most teachers, as they spoke about the knowledge of learners with regard to their community and districts from which they came.