ASSESSMENT OF PRE-SERVICE PRIMARY TEACHERS’ PEDAGOGICAL KNOWLEDGE IN ELEMENTARY SCIENCE: EFFECTS FROM SCIENCE EDUCATION TRAINING

Abstract

Pedagogical knowledge (PK) can be understood as the set of educational analysis and instructional technics; and also, management strategies that primary teachers use to teach. For its assessment, a previously validated instrument to assess Pedagogical Content Knowledge, called CoRe, was used and a set of specific indicators (rubrics) were defined combining experts’ criteria and data analysis from an exploratory studio with preservice elementary teachers. Results showed the sufficiency of these rubrics to account for the variability of participants’ answers. Those indicators were used to analyze effects on PK from the instruction in general versus specific didactic in science. Results show an important contribution from specific didactic in science on preservice elementary teachers’ PK.