Педагогические науки/ 5.Современные методы преподавания

Master-student G.A.Boszhigitova

Eurasian National University after L.N.Gumilyov, Astana, Kazakhstan

Lesson planning guidelines for development of pedagogical content knowledge

Lesson planning for student teachers is often regarded in technical terms, merely as the means to ensure effective classroom performance. This approach limits the possibilities that the process of lesson planning offers to the development of professional competence among student teachers. In particular, student teachers need to begin to develop their pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), the capacity to make pedagogical choices that are logically derived from content and contextual knowledge. Knowledge of how to plan lessons is often regarded as technical or instrumental knowledge. This is illustrated by various international and South African texts written to support student teachers as they ‘learn to teach’. The reasons given for lesson planning mostly focus on the role that planning plays in enabling student teachers to cope ably with the immediate demands of the lesson itself (their improved confidence in knowing what they need to do during the lesson) and in enhancing their ability to cope with the unexpected .Student teachers are warned that failure to plan thoroughly results in aimless teaching, the choice of inappropriate teaching strategies, time wasted and classroom management problems. Further reading on a topic is advised to enable a student teacher to answer questions from learners “correctly and convincingly”. Similarly, examples from international literature regard lesson planning as important for instructional effectiveness, scheduling curriculum content, proving that teachers are doing their jobs and providing a guide for substitute teachers; and that lesson plans are important as frameworks for “conceptualizing, designing and delivering instruction”. The value of lesson planning is hence seen in terms of subsequent instructional performance, and it is the product of the action of lesson planning that is emphasized, not the value of the process. As teacher educators, we reflect critically on this technical approach to lesson planning, arguing that this is a limiting approach, particularly when applied to pre-service student teachers. As a result of our inquiry into lesson planning as it is conceptualized in the literature and instantiated in student teachers’ work, we are convinced that the practice of lesson planning should offer more to the development of a professional knowledge base for teaching than merely enabling student teachers to hold their own in a classroom.

Key findings and Principles of PCK

• Pedagogical content knowledge is a special combination of content and pedagogy that is uniquely constructed by teachers and thus is the "special" form of an educator’s professional knowing and understanding.
• Pedagogical content knowledge also is known as craft knowledge. It comprises integrated knowledge representing teachers’ accumulated wisdom with respect to their teaching practice: pedagogy, students, subject matter, and the curriculum.
• Pedagogical content knowledge must be addressed within the context of a diverse pedagogy.

How PCK is Developed

• Pedagogical content knowledge is deeply rooted in a teacher’s everyday work. However, it is not opposite to theoretical knowledge. It encompasses both theory learned during teacher preparation as well as experiences gained from ongoing schooling activities.
• The development of pedagogical content knowledge is influenced by factors related to the teacher’s personal background and by the context in which he or she works.
• Pedagogical content knowledge is deeply rooted in the experiences and assets of students, their families and communities.

• When teaching subject matter, teachers’ actions will be determined to a large extent by the depth of their pedagogical content knowledge, making this an essential component of their ongoing learning.
• Pedagogical content knowledge research links knowledge on teaching with knowledge about learning, a powerful knowledge base on which to build teaching expertise.

At the heart effective content teaching is the teachers' pedagogical content knowledge. If we are to improve the quality of teaching and learning in critical core content areas, we need to resist some old traditions in professional learning. Instead, we should acknowledge and expand the insights of experts who develop competence in subject matter teaching. We should additionally commit to high quality professional development targeted to develop this expertise. When we do this, we support the growth of the teacher as a person and a professional who can expertly lead a student to academic success. Currently, we will contribute to the realization of the goals and priorities of the classroom and the school system as a whole.

REFERENCES

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