Evaluating the pedagogical content knowledge of pre- and in-service teachers of business and economics to ensure quality of classroom practice in vocational education and training

Abstract

Background: Research on teachers' professional knowledge and skills is becoming increasingly important. However, valid assessments of teachers' knowledge and skills are scarce. In this study, we report on our development and validation (following the international Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing) of a situation-based tool to assess pre-service and in-service teachers' pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) of business and economics in vocational education and training. Methods: We present a conceptual model and empirical evidence indicating the validity of test content and internal structure of the new developed assessment. We conducted conceptual analyses, interviews and standardized ratings with experts, and piloted the tool with 338 pre-service and in-service teachers. Results: Our results indicate that our assessment tool is valid and reliable to measure case-related PCK (a central component of situation-oriented knowledge) of pre-service and in-service teachers. Conclusions: A video- and performance-based assessment tool for assessing the strategic component of PCK is developed and currently being validated. Together, these tools can serve to assess the professional knowledge and skills of business and economics teachers.