Shulman, or Shulman and Shulman? How communities and contexts affect the development of pre-service teachers’ subject knowledge

ABSTRACT

Much research in teacher education explores the nature of subject knowledge (what?) and its importance for teachers and teaching. Other research focuses on the people, processes and contextual factors that influence the development of teacher knowledge (how?). Fewer studies focus on the link between the two. This paper explores the interconnection between the development of subject knowledge and the influence of communities in which the learning is located. Participants followed an initial teacher education (ITE) course in physical education. Data collection consisted of interviews with pre-service teachers and their school-based mentors. Data analysis utilised the constant comparative method. The study found significant gains in the knowledge bases that were investigated. These could only be understood within the context of the communities in which the learning took place. This influence needs to be explicitly recognised, if a more complete understanding of subject knowledge formation on ITE programmes is to be developed.

KEYWORDS:

• Initial teacher education
• subject knowledge
• PCK
• communities of practice
• physical education teacher education

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Frank Herold

Dr Frank Herold is a Senior lecturer in Sport Pedagogy at the School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences. He has a broad research and teaching interest in professional learning and pedagogy of teaching and learning in Physical Education. His main research interests are concerned with significant developments in national and international Initial Teacher Education in Physical Education. A particular research focus is the exploration of the development of subject knowledge and in particular Pedagogical Content Knowledge in Trainee Teachers of Physical Education. Other interests include wider aspects of research in Physical Education such as the use of new technologies, in particular ICT in PE, as well as Assessment for Learning and Inclusion in Physical Education.