Examining science teachers' pedagogical content
knowledge in the context of a professional development program
Wongsopawiro, D.S.
Citation
Wongsopawiro, D. S. (2012, January 24). Examining science teachers'
pedagogical content knowledge in the context of a professional development program. ICLON PhD Dissertation Series. Retrieved from
https://hdl.handle.net/1887/18396
Version: Corrected Publisher’s Version
License: Licence agreement concerning inclusion of doctoral thesis in the Institutional Repository of the University of Leiden
Downloaded from: https://hdl.handle.net/1887/18396
Note: To cite this publication please use the final published version (if applicable).
Examining science teachers’
pedagogical content knowledge in the context of
a professional development program
2
Title: Examining science teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge in the context of a professional development program
Titel: Een onderzoek naar de pedagogische vakkennis van bètadocenten in de context van een professionaliseringsprogramma
ICLON, Leiden University Graduate School of Teaching
Print: Proefschriftmaken.nl || BOXPress, Oisterwijk
Cover design: Gerda Visser-Wijnveen
Lay-out: Proefschriftmaken.nl || BOXPress, Oisterwijk
ISBN/EAN: 978-94-90383-07-7
© 2012, Dirk Wongsopawiro
All rights reserved. No part of this thesis may be reproduced, stored in retrieval systems, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of the author.
Examining science teachers’
pedagogical content knowledge in the context of a professional development program
Proefschrift
ter verkrijging van
de graad van Doctor aan de Universiteit Leiden, op gezag van Rector Magnificus prof.mr. P.F. van der Heijden,
volgens besluit van het College voor Promoties te verdedigen op dinsdag 24 januari 2012
klokke 16.15 uur
door
Dirk Soenario Wongsopawiro geboren te Paramaribo
in 1971
4
Promotiecommissie
Promotor
Prof. Dr. J. H. van Driel
Overige leden
Prof. Dr. N. Verloop, Universiteit Leiden
Prof. Dr. P. J. den Brok, Technische Universiteit Eindhoven Dr. F. A. Henze-Rietveld, Radboud Universiteit Nijmegen Dr. ir. F. J. J. M. Janssen, Universiteit Leiden
5 Voor Archibald Marshall
7
Table of Contents
Chapter 1. General introduction . . . 13
1.1. Introduction . . . 13
1.2. Teacher knowledge . . . 15
1.2.1. Pedagogical content knowledge . . . 16
1.2.2. Magnusson et al. (1999) model of PCK . . . 18
1.2.3. Professional development programs . . . 22
1.2.4. Teachers’ professional development . . . 24
1.3. The context of the study . . . 26
1.3.1. The MSP program . . . 27
1.4. Design and focus of the study . . . 28
1.5. Relevance of the study . . . 29
1.6. Outline of the study . . . 29
Chapter 2. Understanding orientations towards teaching of mathematics and science teachers in the context of a professional development program . . . 33
Abstract . . . 33
2.1. Introduction . . . 34
2.2. Theoretical framework . . . 35
2.1.1. Science teaching orientations . . . 35
2.1.2. Mathematics teaching orientations . . . 38
2.2. The context of the study . . . 40
2.3. Method . . . 41
8
2.3.1. Research question . . . 41
2.3.2. Participants . . . 41
2.3.3. Data collection . . . 42
2.3.4. Data analysis . . . 42
2.4. Results . . . 44
2.5. Conclusions and discussion . . . 50
2.5.1. Motivation . . . 52
2.5.2. The Magnusson et al. (1999) orientations . . . 53
2.5.3. Mathematics orientations . . . 54
2.6. Implications . . . 54
2.6.1. Implications for professional development . . . 54
2.6.2. Implications for future research . . . 55
Chapter 3. Typifying science teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge based on their concerns and their purposes in science teaching . . . 57
Abstract . . . 57
3.1. Introduction . . . 58
3.2. Theoretical framework . . . 60
3.2.1. The PCK model of Magnusson et al. (1999) . . . 60
3.2.2. Goals and purposes for teaching science . . . 61
3.3. Context of the study . . . 62
3.3.1. The Mathematics and Science Partnership Program (MSP) . . . .62
3.3.2. Aim of the study . . . 63
3.4. Methods . . . 63
3.4.1. Participants . . . 63
3.4.2. Data collection . . . 64
3.4.3. Data analysis . . . 65
3.5. Results . . . 70
3.5.1. Pedagogical content knowledge Type I: Knowledge of teaching science process skills . . . 72
Table of Contents
9 3.5.2. Pedagogical content knowledge Type II: Knowledge of
teaching science content using various strategies . . . 74
3.5.3. Pedagogical content knowledge Type III: Knowledge of teaching science through enhancing students’ motivation. . . 76
3.6. Discussion and conclusions . . . 79
Pedagogical content knowledge types . . . 80
3.7. Limitation and implications of the study . . . 83
Chapter 4. Using the interconnected model of teachers’ professional growth to study science teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge in the context of a professional development program . . . .85
Abstract . . . 85
4.1. Introduction . . . 86
4.2. Theoretical Framework . . . 88
4.2.1. Teachers’ Professional Growth . . . 88
4.2.2. The Interconnected Model of Teachers’ Professional Growth (IMTPG) . . . 90
4.2.3. Pedagogical Content Knowledge . . . 91
4.2.4. Action research . . . 92
4.3. Context of the Study . . . 93
4.3.1. The MSP Program . . . 93
4.3.2. Adaptations to the IMTPG model . . . 94
4.4. Method . . . 97
4.4.1. Research question . . . 97
4.4.2. Participants . . . 97
4.4.3. Data collection . . . 97
4.4.4. Data analysis . . . 100
4.5. Results . . . 103
4.5.1. Knowledge of science curricula . . . 103
4.5.2. Knowledge of instructional strategies . . . 105
4.5.3. Knowledge of student understanding of science . . . 107
4.5.4. Knowledge of student assessment of scientific literacy . . . 108
Table of Contents
10
4.6. Conclusions and discussion . . . 109
4.6.1. Different pathways related to PCK development . . . 110
4.6.2. Powerful elements in the professional development program . . . 112
4.6.3. Implications for professional development programs . . . 113
Chapter 5. The relation between teachers’ orientations towards science teaching, teaching concerns, levels of inquiry-based instructions, and their classroom activities . . . 117
Abstract . . . 117
5.1. Introduction . . . 118
5.2. Theoretical framework . . . 119
5.2.1. Science inquiry . . . 119
5.2.2 Orientations towards teaching science . . . 120
5.2.3. Science teaching concerns . . . 121
5.3. Context of the study . . . 122
5.4. Method . . . 123
5.4.1. Aim and research questions . . . 123
5.4.2. Data collection . . . 124
5.4.3. Data Analyses . . . 124
5.5. Results . . . 126
5.6. Conclusions and discussion . . . 133
5.7. Implications . . . 138
Chapter 6. General conclusions and discussion . . . 141
6.1. Introduction . . . 141
6.2. General conclusions of the studies . . . 142
6.2.1. Study I . . . 142
6.2.2. Study II . . . 144
6.2.3. Study III . . . 146
6.2.4. Study IV . . . 148
6.2.5. The MSP program . . . 149
Table of Contents
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6.3. Discussion . . . 150
6.3.1. Orientations towards science teaching . . . 150
6.3.2. Science teaching concerns . . . 152
6.3.3. Models for PCK development . . . 154
6.4. Strengths and weaknesses . . . 155
6.4.1. Strengths . . . 155
6.4.2. Weaknesses . . . 156
6.5. Implications and suggestions for future research . . . 157
6.5.1. Practical implications . . . 157
6.5.2. Research implications. . . 159
Summary . . . 161
Nederlandse samenvatting . . . 171
References . . . 181
Appendices . . . 199
Curriculum Vitae . . . 203
Dankwoord . . . 205
ICLON PhD dissertation series . . . 207
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