Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.15516/cje.v19i0.2710
The Role of Pedagogical Content Knowledge and Experience of Elementary School Teachers in the Implementation of Inquiry Teaching
Ivana Perković Krijan
; Faculty of Education in Osijek, University of Josip Juraj Strossmayer
Siniša Opić
; Faculty of Teacher Education, University of Zagreb
Majda Rijavec
orcid.org/0000-0001-6361-9968
; Faculty of Teacher Education, University of Zagreb
Abstract
The aim of the study was to assess the predictive value of pedagogical content knowledge of inquiry science and society teaching in explaining the frequency of its implementation. The sample of 320 elementary school teachers from Eastern Croatia were included in the study. Two measures were used for assessing their pedagogical content knowledge about inquiry teaching: knowledge presented in the lesson plans and self-assessed pedagogical content knowledge of inquiry teaching. The participants’ experience of inquiry learning throughout their education and the frequency of its implementation in teaching science and society were assessed with the use of a questionnaire specially designed for this study. The obtained results show that the teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge of inquiry teaching and their experience of inquiry learning throughout education explained 32% of the variance related to the frequency of their implementation of inquiry teaching. The same variables explained 38% of the variance regarding the implementation of inquiry activities. Additionally, the results reveal that the teachers assessed their pedagogical content knowledge of inquiry teaching as very good. Their knowledge as presented in the lesson plans was rather poor and suggested a low level of the pedagogical content knowledge of inquiry science and society teaching, indicating that the teachers are not familiar enough with the phases and activities of inquiry teaching.
Keywords
experience related to learning through inquiry; inquiry-based teaching; pedagogical content knowledge of inquiry teaching; elementary school teachers; science and society
Hrčak ID:
201191
URI
Publication date:
27.12.2017.
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