Abstract
Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) has been suggested by Shulman as one major indicator of a teacher’s ability to implement effective classroom strategies. Assessing teachers’ knowledge from the students’ points of view is suggested as reliable and valid. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate what are students’ perceptions of their science teacher’s knowledge, and what factors influence students’ perceptions of science teacher’s knowledge. A combination of quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis was used in this study. “The Student Perceptions of Teachers’ Knowledge” (SPOTK) questionnaire was used to explore students’ perceptions of theirs science teacher’s teaching. A two-stages-cluster random sampling was used. The sample included fifty classes of students from the metropolitan areas of Taipei, Taichung and Kaoshiung (N = 1,879). The qualitative data were collected by using classroom observation, videotaping, and interviews. Six science teachers and their classes were observed. Study results indicate that the students perceived their science teachers as generally knowledgeable and competent. Students perceived that their teachers tested them frequently and used a limited variety of instructional strategies. The study also finds that the students’ perception of their teachers’ knowledge varied with such factors as subject matter, teacher sex, student sex, location of school, and size of school. It is argued that the findings from this study may help teachers in the following ways: (1) provide an opportunity to reflect their own teaching; (2) help to assess their classroom teaching, and (3) provide information for improving the PCK of preservice science teachers.
| Keywords: | pedagogical content knowledge; combining qualitative and quantitative data; student perception |
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