Mark Dunn 102091 Secondary Curriculum 2B Assessment 2

20237947 11-12 Mathematics Ext. Critical Reflection

In this paper the question that will be assessed is how important is pre-service teachers’ pedagogical
content knowledge, or more specifically, is pedagogical content knowledge the most important
knowledge for pre-service teachers. This question will be assessed in both the positive and the
negative with scholarly evidence in support of both, and the position will then be assessed from a
pre-service teacher’s point of view. What is pedagogical content knowledge? It is this author’s
understanding that pedagogical content knowledge is the intersection of three types of knowledge.
The first being subject specific content knowledge, which provides the material for the pre-service
teacher to teach. The second is general and subject specific pedagogy, which ensures methods of
teaching the materials. The third is knowledge of the learner, which provides the pre-service teacher
with perspectives of the learners, allowing them to understand what the student has comprehended
and where their understanding is, or will be, failing them. In essence, pedagogical content
knowledge paves the way towards effective teaching by ensuring that the learning cycle is
uninterrupted. [CITATION Mar13 \t \l 3081 ]

Pedagogical content knowledge is presented in many literary articles and is often focused on during
conferences of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia. Proceedings from 2013 to
present have been selected in order to review pedagogical content knowledge with specific
reference to pre-service teachers.

Pedagogical content knowledge is the intersection of the knowledge of the content material and the
knowledge of delivery of material. This allows a teacher to cater for the specific learning needs of
their students. In order to foster the growth mindset in engaging students, O’Brien et al. (2015)
vouch for inquiry-based tasks. These high-level problems enable learner to attempt them from
multiple avenues, similar to Lamb et al. (2014) and their method of dual modelling. Both have
proven useful in delivering content to learners with needs, but also require teachers to persevere
throughout the process and not give in to the temptation of supplying students with a formula for
success[ CITATION Sul14 \l 3081 ].

Pedagogical content knowledge rests upon the knowledge of the learners. This enables teachers to
view a problem from the perspective of the students and allows the teacher to predict where any
individual student may struggle with the concept that the problem is built on, or any misconceptions
or misunderstandings relating to the presented information [CITATION Mar13 \t \l 3081 ]. When a
teacher can predict where students may stray from the intended path, they can plan to cater for
those errors and use it as a teaching point. This is why reflective strategies are a pillar of effective
teaching practice, as teachers will be able to focus on known errors for further teaching [CITATION
Ave131 \t \m Woo15 \l 3081 ].

Student relationships built on mutual respect is an essential part of effective teaching and must be
holistically integrated. Respectful relationships fit into pedagogical content knowledge through
knowledge of learners and how they learn. The beginning of a respectful relationship between pre-
service teachers and their students is when they seek to understand them and their knowledge.
Respect is shown to students by pre-service teachers being professional, having high expectations of
each students, and acknowledgement of student individuality and cultural knowledge. Averill and
Clark (2013) found that students were able to identify how teachers were being respectful towards
them. Some examples include respecting that students have other time commitments when
assigning homework, and encouraging constructive strategies when dealing with errors. When their
teacher asked for reasons behind their choice of method, students determined that this was a
respectful strategy, but it is also closely tied to pedagogical content knowledge. In this example the
Mark Dunn 102091 Secondary Curriculum 2B Assessment 2
20237947 11-12 Mathematics Ext. Critical Reflection

teacher needed to understand the student’s actions from their perspective.[CITATION Mar13 \t \l
3081 ]

Pre-service teachers need to focus on pedagogical content knowledge as it will allow them to
diagnose the level of understanding at which their students currently are. Diagnosis of student
understanding is a key component of knowledge of the student and how they learn. Pre-service
teachers are required to select adequate content and pedagogy based on diagnostic assessments,
and so it is imperative that pre-service teacher are well versed in the analysis and selection of
assessment tasks. Hurst’s (2014) study found that while it was expected that pre-service teachers
would struggle due to previous studies in the field, Hurst found that pre-service teachers were
capable in aligning adequate tasks with specific students and situations. This flies in the face of
accepted view that pre-service teachers lack pedagogical content knowledge and should be
attributed to the efforts of educators in the tertiary education field.

The language used in the mathematics classroom is a key component of content knowledge and
pedagogical knowledge, and is highly influenced by the level of understanding the students possess.
Pedagogical content knowledge therefore hinges on the terminology used to present and explain
mathematical concepts. Mathematics is full of technical words that have specific meanings, and
consistency and clarity are key to prevent students from establishing misconceptions [CITATION
Chi15 \t \l 3081 ]. Common misconceptions stem from use of words by teachers that seem to be
synonymous, but have slightly different meaning, or due to over-simplification during the
explanation process [ CITATION Wat13 \l 3081 ]. In an effort to make the definition of mathematical
terms accessible to all students, this can easily lead to student misunderstanding in future years.
Pre-service teachers need to be aware of this problem which is already prevalent in their future
students, and must strive to hold to the use of correct mathematical terminology when teaching,
and reinforce terminology after accessibly explaining concepts.

Pedagogical content knowledge is the implementation of strategies, informed by the teacher’s

content knowledge and knowledge of the student. However, for diagnosis of student knowledge,
and implementation of the correct pedagogy, pre-service teachers require experience [ CITATION
Pro13 \l 3081 ]. Several programs have been run to diagnose whether pre-service teachers are able
understand student misconceptions and intervene using appropriate pedagogy, including one by
Chick and Beswick (2013). They discovered that pre-service teachers tend to gloss over steps that
they understand but students may not, that they do not try to understand the student’s
methodology, and that they often simply present the student with a formula to the solution rather
than guiding students down an avenue of learning. Averill, Drake, and Harvey (2013) also
experienced this lack of fluency due to minimal experience and strived to combat it through the
coaching of pre-service teachers through instructional activities, providing mock experience with
immediately implementable feedback.

Pedagogical content knowledge stands firmly on the foundation that is content knowledge. For pre-
service teachers to effectively teach mathematics they must first establish a deep understanding of
the content. Up to twenty-one percent of mathematics teachers in Australia [ CITATION Mat181 \l
3081 ] are teaching out of field, and so likely lack that depth of understanding of content knowledge,
and therefore must lack pedagogical content knowledge. Some university programs exist that strive
to teach pre-service teachers who are in a field other than mathematics the skills to effectively
teach, notably with a focus on technology [ CITATION Mat181 \l 3081 ]. While these momentary
attempts are noble, they cannot possibly hope to ensure that teachers have the deep and complete
mathematical content knowledge required to ensure effective teaching occurs. It is far more likely
Mark Dunn 102091 Secondary Curriculum 2B Assessment 2
20237947 11-12 Mathematics Ext. Critical Reflection

that merely the transference of information will occur, rather than any depth of conceptual
understanding, and the chances are negligible that an interest in the pursuit of further study of
mathematics will arise.

Pedagogical content knowledge relies upon knowledge of learners and how they learn. This
knowledge is invaluable in preparing the teaching materials and methods and will dictate whether
students will comprehend concepts quickly. Dayal (2013) found that pre-service teachers desire to
emulate the best qualities of their own teachers, which tend to be teachers from senior schooling
years. These qualities are often personality characteristics rather than teaching strategies, as most
pre-service teachers mainly experienced tasks based on repetition of textbook exercises.

From my perspective as a pre-service secondary mathematics teacher, my understanding of the

views presented in the literature reviewed above leads me to believe that pedagogical content
knowledge is an essential part of effective teaching and learning. Teachers need to understand a
deep understanding of the mathematical content to have any hope in responding to student
questions with fluency and confidence and with consistent use of terminology. Mathematics
teachers need varied pedagogy to engage students continually and seamlessly with mathematics
syllabus content, and to ignite an interest in the study of mathematics. Teachers need to understand
where students are going wrong, to see the problem from the student’s point of view in order to
implement strategies to guide the student back towards conceptual understanding. However, I do
not believe that pedagogical content knowledge is the most important knowledge for pre-service
teachers. Pre-service teachers don’t only have to deal with effectively communicating to students
mathematical concepts, but they are rapidly and increasingly exposed to radically different beliefs on
mathematics education to their own. During my mathematics studies as a secondary student, I
encountered vastly different pedagogies than those that are presented by mathematics educators to
pre-service teachers. My own inexperience with teachers implementing pedagogical content
knowledge certainly shapes my beliefs. These beliefs were further cemented under the tutelage of
mathematicians in tertiary education; no evidence of pedagogical content knowledge was displayed
and certainly no desire to further any knowledge of the learner and where misconceptions may be
commonly found. This separation of mathematicians and mathematics educators for pre-service
teachers, combined with the generational gap and lack of contemporary pedagogical strategies
experienced in secondary mathematics, forms a disjointed picture of mathematics education which
lacks pedagogical content knowledge. As a pre-service teacher undertaking post-graduate studies,
the mathematical content is assumed to be known, and as such, any hope of demonstration of
pedagogical content knowledge is pointless. Pre-service teachers need to experience the
mathematical pedagogies that they are taught. I was encouraged by the New Zealand coaching study
(Averill, Drake, & Harvey, 2013) (based on work in American Universities) which attempted mock
experience through instructional activities, with tutor feedback on pedagogy made available for
immediate implementation. Ideally, a constructivist approach would be taken in order for pre-
service teachers to attain deeper pedagogical content knowledge. Mathematics in tertiary education
would be taught by mathematics educators, or at the very least mathematicians with pedagogical
content knowledge, so that students can go through the experience which they need to emulate in
their own classrooms [CITATION Mar18 \t \l 3081 ]. Pre-service teachers should strive towards
pedagogical content knowledge, but it is not the first and most important step, it is the goal.

The need for pedagogical content knowledge and its proficiency with pre-empting student
misconceptions and misunderstandings can be clearly illustrated through a 2019 HSC multiple-choice
question, as the multiple-choice section focuses on common mistakes to simpler problems.
Mark Dunn 102091 Secondary Curriculum 2B Assessment 2
20237947 11-12 Mathematics Ext. Critical Reflection

Question nine relies on the student’s understanding of the manipulation and relationships of
trigonometric expressions. Students are to recall the relationship between sine, cosine, and the
tangent to rearrange the expression into one similar to the reference sheet example. Many mistakes
can be made in this process, including using an incorrect understanding of integration of
trigonometric functions, or incorrect indices due to skipping steps.

In conclusion, we have seen that pedagogical content knowledge leads to effective teaching of
mathematics content. Pedagogical content knowledge rests in the intersection of three knowledges:
mathematical content knowledge, mathematical pedagogy knowledge, and knowledge of the
learners and how they learn. This makes pedagogical content knowledge an important goal for pre-
service teachers to strive towards, but itself is not the most important focus for pre-service teachers.
Pre-service teachers need to focus on establishing a deep understanding of mathematical content
knowledge, which should result in confidence in the classroom, fluency in answering student
queries, and consistent use of terminology. Pre-service teachers need to then focus on
understanding mathematical pedagogy. This needs to be experienced by pre-service teachers in the
role of student, and in the role of teacher. Finally, pre-service teachers need to gain understanding
of how students learn, how to diagnose their current levels of understanding, and how view
problems from the perspective of the student. This will allow them to correct misconceptions the
student may have, lead students to realise their own mistakes, and present the concepts in ways
they can engage with.
Mark Dunn 102091 Secondary Curriculum 2B Assessment 2
20237947 11-12 Mathematics Ext. Critical Reflection
Mark Dunn 102091 Secondary Curriculum 2B Assessment 2
20237947 11-12 Mathematics Ext. Critical Reflection

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20237947 11-12 Mathematics Ext. Critical Reflection

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Mark Dunn 102091 Secondary Curriculum 2B Assessment 2
20237947 11-12 Mathematics Ext. Critical Reflection