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Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 8, Issue 1, Article
8 (June, 2007) Deborah CORRIGAN A frame for the development of preservice science teachers |
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Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, Volume 8, Issue 1, Article
8 (June, 2007) Deborah CORRIGAN A frame for the development of preservice science teachers |
Mapping of knowledge domains in the intended curriculum
As stated above, the intended curriculum is mapped against Shulman’s seven knowledge domains. The mapped intentions of the course are communicated to preservice chemistry teachers in a variety of ways, predominantly in the course guide, as well as the mechanisms that are employed to track their learning.
From this initial mapping of curriculum, articulation of intentions and tracking of learning, it became clear that there were areas that needed further development. Table I below summarises the mapping exercise and indicates the frequency of the intended development of each of Shulmans’ seven knowledge domains throughout the course. The heading used in this table are based on Shulamn’s seven knowledge domains and the frequency refers to the number of times when these knowledge domains were the purposeful intent of the teaching. This frequency table is based on the coursework component of the course and does not attempt to map the school experience component. It should be noted here that while there is also clear intentions and mapping of skills, attitudes and values developed throughout the course, these will not be detailed here but have been detailed elsewhere (Corrigan, 2005).
Table I: Frequency for the intended development of each of Shulman’s 7 knowledge domains with the Chemistry Education course.
Content knowledge
Pedagogical knowledge
Knowledge of educational contexts
Knowledge of learners
Curriculum knowledge
Pedagogical content knowledge
Knowledge of educational ends, purposes & values
Frequency of occurrence throughout the course
22
26
7
19
17
16
18
From Table I is it clear that while some domains are well represented, particularly pedagogical knowledge and content knowledge, others are not. The low frequency score for knowledge of educational contexts is not such a surprise here as clearly the intention of the school experience within the course is designed to address this knowledge domain specifically. While the mapping exercise relates to the coursework component only, the link between the coursework and the school experience will only become apparent through student reflections and this may indicate a weakness in this study. The link between theory and practice appears limited at this stage.
Preservice chemistry teachers are asked to evaluate their own learning and the course intentions. This is done in a variety of ways such as through a learning log, development of a chemistry teaching portfolio as well as through a semi-structured 2-hour evaluation workshop held at the conclusion of the course. The responses from one cohort of students (n=20) are presented below.
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