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Location of subject knowledge development: institutional, professional or personal

This study explores the nature of subject knowledge development in ITE from institutional, professional, and personal perspectives. It examines the critique of the competence model and the use of eportfolios in this context. The study also considers the importance of subject knowledge, different methods of learning, and the role of assessment. Finally, it poses questions regarding who should drive subject knowledge development, differences between institutional and professional expectations, interventions to improve subject knowledge in schools, the balance between generic and subject-specific skills, and the required level of knowledge to teach a specialist subject.

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Location of subject knowledge development: institutional, professional or personal

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  1. Mike Martin Liverpool John Moores University m.c.martin@ljmu.ac.uk Location of subject knowledge development: institutional, professional or personal

  2. Background • Uncomfortable with subject knowledge competencies – what students can’t do • Critique of competence model (Martin 2008) • Exploration of eportfolios for previous 5 years • Presentations at subject conferences • Now focus of doctoral work

  3. Nature of subject knowledge • Knowing in action –Schön (1983) • Pedagogical content knowledge and pedagogical reasoning – Shulman (1986) • Construction of knowledge through practical activities – Greeno et al (1996) • Situated and social – Putnam & Borko (2000) • Knowledge in practice - Ellis (2007)

  4. Questioning subject knowledge • A fixed body of knowledge? • Knowledge developed as and when necessary so why audit and check? • Personal ‘body of knowledge’ – one size fits all does not work…

  5. Perspectives • Looking at three perspectives • Institutional – ITE providers, TDA • Professional – schools, subject mentors • Personal – student / NQT / beginning teacher

  6. Institutional • Acceptance of a place on the course subject to a particular level of subject knowledge • Auditing, target setting, tracking all managed by the ‘provider’ • Lists of competences generated – often subject knowledge per-se, not application • Internal and external monitoring

  7. Professional • Students come to the professional context already with subject knowledge • Focus on helping to teach what is already offered to pupils • What happens in the classroom is the focus • Knowledge required is driven by curriculum of the moment

  8. Personal • Development of subject knowledge in the individual student / NQT / beginning teacher • Knowledge acquired by an individual according to their needs

  9. Students perspective • Decided to canvas opinion • Questionnaire developed to get a snapshot of students’ opinions

  10. Questionnaire

  11. Confidence Not at all confident Very confident

  12. Importance of subject knowledge Not at all important Very important

  13. Mentors Not at all important Very important

  14. Relationships Individual Institution Professional context

  15. Ownership • Ownedby institutions – knowledge static, content focused and uniform • Owned by professionals – curriculum driven, delivery focused and diverse • Owned by the individual – personalised, unique and diverse, non-uniform

  16. Methods of learning • In institutions – learning with peers • In schools – learning with mentors, technicians • Self-taught – OK for knowledge acquisition

  17. Assessment • A question of competence • What can be assessed? • Students work – annotated • Pupils work - annotated

  18. Eportfolios • Used to capture a variety of media • Usually personal and ‘owned’ by the student • Storytelling – Helen Barrett • www. electronicportfolios.org • Annotation

  19. Eportfolios for subject knowledge

  20. Eportfolios for subject knowledge

  21. Question time… • Who should drive subject knowledge development in ITE? • How can differences between institutional and professional expectations be resolved? • What interventions / actions could improve subject knowledge development in schools? • What balance should there be between generic / transferable skills and single subject knowledge per se? • How much knowledge is needed to teach your specialist subject?

  22. Keep in touch… Mike Martin Liverpool John Moores University m.c.martin@ljmu.ac.uk www.staff.ljmu.ac.uk/edcmmart

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