Evidence of the Development of Pedagogical Content Knowledge of Chemistry Teachers about Redox Reactions in the Context of a Professional Development Program

Abstract

In this study, we investigated the impact of a continuing professional development program (CPD) on the development of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) of chemistry teachers regarding the topic of redox reactions. For this purpose, a CPD program designed to develop teachers’ PCK on redox reactions was examined. During the course, teachers were observed and their activities were analyzed. The data collected were based on responses to the CoRe instrument, lesson plans, vignettes, and audiovisual records of the CPD program. Qualitative thematic analysis was employed to analyze the data, focusing on the five components of PCK proposed by Park and Oliver. The results demonstrate that teachers, after participating in the continuing education program, were able to independently develop the components of PCK at different levels, with the knowledge of instructional strategies showing the most prominent improvement. Additionally, it was observed that the components could potentially be integrated, suggesting the potential for enhancing PCK in the context of redox reactions.

Keywords

• chemistry education
• pedagogical content knowledge
• continuous professional development
• redox reactions