A South African beginner natural sciences teacher’s articulated PCK-in-practice with respect to electric circuits: A case study
Joyce G. Poti 1 , Washington T. Dudu 2 * , Motlhale J. Sebatana 2
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1 North West Department of Education, Mmabatho, SOUTH AFRICA2 Self-Directed Learning Research Unit, Faculty of Education, North-West University, Mmabatho, SOUTH AFRICA* Corresponding Author

Abstract

Literature shows that science teachers’ development and practice of PCK have always been a concern in science education research. Globally, national policies have begun to underscore the instruction of science teachers as a great concern. This study is considered worthwhile, as it intended to address this gap by exploring a beginner teacher’s PCK knowledge and articulated PCK-in-practice. One participant was purposefully sampled. An exploratory qualitative case study was conducted, and the beginner natural sciences teacher’s PCK of teaching grade 9 electric circuits was explored and analysed through an in-depth enquiry. First, the participant was interviewed, then classroom observations were conducted. The observations were video recorded while the topic in question was being taught. The PCK classroom observations schedule was adopted from Barendsen and Henze (2019). A post-classroom observation interview was conducted. Saldaña’s (2009) model and Pitjeng’s (2014) topic specific PCK rubric were adopted as analytical tools. The findings of this study show that the participant ignored students’ contributions and debates because the lessons were teacher centred. The participant highlighted difficulties linking theoretical classroom science concepts with learners’ real-life experiences. This study is important, as it shows the interconnections of PCK knowledges and how they play a significant role in a teacher’s articulated PCK-in-practice with respect to electric circuits.

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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Article Type: Research Article

EURASIA J Math Sci Tech Ed, Volume 18, Issue 10, October 2022, Article No: em2161

https://doi.org/10.29333/ejmste/12426

Publication date: 05 Sep 2022

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Article Downloads: 957

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