Pedagogical knowledge in the Social Sciences

Abstract

In the theoretical framework about “Growth of Knowledge in Teaching” this paper does a comparison by contrasting the pedagogical content knowledge of two social studies teachers, a veteran teacher (Harry) and a novice (Chris). We are interested in the ways in which the expert teacher know his subject matter and can do things in the classroom that the novice teacher cannot do. The most dramatic differences between the novice and the expert are that the expert has pedagogical content knowledge that enables him to see the larger picture in several ways and he has the flexibility to select a teaching method thas does justice to the topic. The implication for teacher education is that more focus should be on pedagogical content knowledge.