Abstract

Generalist elementary school teachers have little time to develop enacted pedagogical content knowledge (ePCK) in all content areas. Therefore, the transfer of ePCK from one content area to another, such as between math and science, can help generalist teachers build their knowledge needed for teaching regardless of their content area strengths. This self-study examines the ePCK components and their elements present in both math and science instruction. I am a fifth-grade teacher in Utah County who has been teaching for 4 years. Math is taught daily, and science is taught approximately three times a week. The self-study includes six video observations of my instruction—three for math and three for science—as well as a journal of my thoughts on my ePCK after each lesson and a guided discussion with a colleague while reviewing the video observations. Each data source aims to identify ePCK while noting the similarities and differences in the way it presents in each content area. The data analysis reflected this goal through the coding process. Through analysis, each ePCK component—subject matter knowledge, knowledge of students, and pedagogical knowledge—was observed in both math and science instruction. For subject matter knowledge, the presence is different in math and science, implying that this component was not transferred between the two content areas. Regarding knowledge of students, the presence is similar in both math and science, implying that this component transfers between content areas. The elements of pedagogical knowledge that transfer include knowledge of the importance of and ways to establish classroom structures and knowledge of student thinking about content as a key component to learning. These findings suggest that ePCK is a development of past enacted knowledge. Therefore, the more knowledge that is enacted, the more it develops. ePCK transfers between content areas if the presence of components is both present and are similar. If ePCK is transferred from one content area to another, generalist elementary teachers can use the strengths of their ePCK in one content area to improve that of another. With so few studies conducted on this topic, more research needs to be done to further understand ePCK transfer, especially at an elementary level and in the action of teaching.

Degree

College and Department

David O. McKay School of Education; Teacher Education

Rights

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