Chemistry Teachers’ Professional Knowledge, Classroom Action, and Students’ Learning: The Relevance of Technical Language

Abstract

Teachers’ professional knowledge is investigated in several national and international studies and is seen as a fundamental precondition for improved students’ learning. Though research indicates a connection between teachers’ professional knowledge and their students’ learning achievement, research lacks findings on the connection between teachers’ professional knowledge, their actual classroom action, and students’ learning outcome. The presented study focuses on the relationship between German secondary school chemistry teachers’ professional knowledge on the handling of technical language and their actual handling of technical language in class as well as their students’ learning achievement. Whereas findings confirm a significant general improvement in students’ content knowledge, they also indicate a significant connection between aspects of teachers’ professional knowledge and their students’ learning outcome. Moreover, first qualitative analyses show that teachers in classes with high learning achievement and teachers in classes with low learning achievement differ strongly in their handling of technical language. Teachers’ professional knowledge is related to an improved learning of their students, and especially students with low prior knowledge seem to benefit from teachers’ strong professional knowledge.