Mukuba University

School of Mathematics and Natural Sciences

Department of Biology

Student Name: Simon Phiri

Student ID: 21010495

Course Name: Exploring Biology- A Practical Perspective

Course Code: BED 330

Lecturer Name: Dr. Muma

Task: Assignment One (1)

Due Date: January, 2024

Pedagogical content knowledge PCK is the kinds of knowledge required by teachers for the successful
integration of technology in teaching. It suggests that teachers need to know about the intersections of
technology, pedagogy, and content. Pedagogical content knowledge can also refers to a type of
knowledge that is unique to teachers, and is based on the manner in which teachers relate their
pedagogical knowledge (what they know about teaching) to there subject matter knowledge (what they
know about what they teach) Ashton, (1990).

Therefore, this academic paper will focus on the identifying and explaining the most important factors in
the development of pedagogical content knowledge for a biology teacher.

The identified two most important factors in the development of pedagogical content knowledge for a
biology teacher, may include the following:

 Deep Content Knowledge: A biology teacher’s pedagogical content knowledge is profoundly

influenced by a robust understanding of the subject matter. In-depth knowledge of biology
concepts, principles, and their interconnections enables effective communication and
explanation. This fundamental understanding allows the teacher to anticipate student
misconceptions, tailor explanations to diverse learners, and facilitate meaningful connections
between different biological concepts. Continuous engagement with current research and
advancements in the field further enhances the teacher’s ability to represent up-to-date and
relevant content to students.
 Understanding Student Cognition and Misconceptions: A critical factor in developing
pedagogical content knowledge is an awareness of how students think and learn. Recognizing
common misconceptions and learning challenges specific to biology helps a teacher adapt
instructional strategies. By addressing these misconceptions, a biology teacher can design
targeted interventions, use analogies and examples that resonate with students, and foster a
deeper understanding of complex biological concepts. This insight into student cognition allows
 the teacher to tailor instructional approaches, activities, and assessments that effectively
support diverse learning styles and promote meaningful comprehension.

With pedagogical content knowledge, teachers can apply educational theories, best practices, and
techniques to teach their subjects effectively. By having a deep understanding of the subject matter and
how to use it, teachers can develop strategies to convey the knowledge engagingly. Ashton, (1990).

One critical component to combine with content and pedagogical knowledge for effective biology
teaching is “student engagement .” Understanding how to capture students’ interest, involve them in
interactive activities, and tailor teaching methods to diverse learning styles enhances the overall
effectiveness of biology instruction. Engaging students fosters a deeper connect with the subject matter,
promoting better comprehension and retention, teacher’s knowledge of students’ abilities and learning
strategies, ages and developmental levels, attitudes, motivations, and prior knowledge (Ball and
McDiarmid 1990).

Teachers need pedagogical content knowledge. Improvement of teachers’ pedagogical content

knowledge may contribute to deeper understanding of effective lessons to facilitate students’ learning.
With pedagogical content knowledge, teachers can apply educational theories, best practices, and
techniques to teach biology subject effectively. By having a deep understanding of the subject matter
and how to use it, biology teachers can develop strategies to convey the knowledge engagingly. In
addition, biology teachers require pedagogical content knowledge to effectively communicate complex
biological concepts, tailor their teaching to students’ understanding, and address common
misconceptions. Pedagogical content knowledge helps bridge the gap between subject matter expertise
and the ability to convey that knowledge in a way that resonates with students, fostering a more
meaningful learning experience (Ashton, 1990).

Biology teacher with content knowledge is expected to demonstrate the following when teaching
biology in class:

1. Clarity in Explanation: A biology teacher with content knowledge should articulate complex
biological concepts in a clear and concise manner. This involves breaking down intricate ideas
into digestible components, ensuring that students can follow and understand the information
presented.
2. Application of Real-world Examples: Integrating real-world examples into lessons helps students
relate abstract concepts to everyday life. A knowledgeable biology teacher can draw
connections between theoretical knowledge and practical applications, making the subject more
engaging and relevant.
3. Adaptability to Diverse Learning Styles: Recognizing that students have different learning styles,
a proficient biology teacher tailors their teaching methods to accommodate various preferences.
This might involve incorporating visual aids, hands-on activities, or group discussions to enhance
comprehension and cater to different learning preferences.
4. Effective Questioning Techniques: Skillful use of questioning techniques encourages critical
thinking and class participation. A biology teacher with content knowledge poses thought-
provoking questions that challenge students to apply their understanding, fostering a dynamic
and interactive learning environment.
5. Addressing Misconceptions: Understanding common misconceptions within biology and
proactively addressing them is crucial. A knowledgeable biology teacher not only imparts
 accurate information but also identifies and corrects misconceptions, ensuring that students
develop a robust and accurate understanding of biological concepts.

A biology teacher’s in depth content knowledge allows them to provide clear explanations, answer
questions effectively, and connect concepts. For example, explaining Krebs cycle with real-world
examples enhances student understanding, fostering a deeper grasp of cellular respiration. Additionally,
a teacher well-versed in evolution can relate it to diverse examples, making the topic more engaging and
relevant for students. This enhances the overall learning experience and comprehension. Below there
some tips which biology teacher’s content knowledge can improve student’s learning of the biology
subject.

 Establish goals and monitor progress: When you want to improve your students learning,
creating goals can help involve them in their progress and give them steps they can follow to
achieve those aspirations. Students can use goals to reach different results and apply them
where needed to aid their learning journey. From achieving good grades to learn to study better,
goals are excellent individualized tools.
 Emphasize active listening: Teachers can develop deeper levels of learning in their students by
encouraging and highlighting active listening in the classroom. This communication method
requires students to go beyond hearing what their teachers say to ensure they understand the
meaning of the points. When students use active listening, they are more likely to comprehend
and recall information later, whether completing homework or a test.
 Create a consistent structure: Many aspects of school and learning involve structure to help
students focus on education and lessons. They can better prepare for what each class offers
when they can move from class to class without thought. Also structure helps students know
what to expect, so they can better control their emotions and manage their energy when in the
classroom.
 Teach lessons in different formats: While structure in the classroom is essential, teachers can
also improve student learning by switching up the formats regularly. Students have to sit for
long periods at a time with few breaks between lessons -changing formats and mediums when
teaching can help keep students engaged and interested in the materials.
 Incorporate movement and breaks: While classroom structure is essential, teachers can better
encourage learning by respecting the students’ natural workflow and energy levels. Young
children especially have lots of energy and often lack the tools to manage it, resulting in
disruptions to learning and teaching. On the other -hand, high schools overlook recess, leaving
older students sitting in classes back to back with little time to move around and get out any
energy they might have.
 Consider mindfulness activities: Mindfulness exercises can be an effective structured break
option or way to start classes each day. Mindfulness helps focus the mind and allows students to
become more present, this type of exercise uses lots of breathing exercises and reflection,
which can also reduce stress and let students process their emotions. Some ways teachers can
implement mindfulness in the classroom include; Daily journaling, breathing exercises, mental
imaging, stretching and yoga.
 Equip classrooms with the right tools: Teachers have many tips and habits they can implement
into their classrooms to help their students learn and succeed. Technology can be an excellent
addition to the school, expanding teaching options and impacting how students learn. While
 some people might believe that classroom technology might distract students, there are many
benefits to using these tools while teaching.

Moran and Keeley (2015), state that conceptual understanding is a deeper understanding by both
knowing ideas in an interconnected and organized way and knowing more ideas along the novice-expert
spectrum.

The three ways a biology teacher can employ to boost pupils’ conceptual understanding of a given topic
are as follows:

 Hands-on Activities: Engage students in hands-on experiments or demonstrations related to the

biology topic. This tactile experience can deepen their understanding by connecting theoretical
concepts with real-world observations.
 Visual Aids and Multimedia: Utilize visual aids such as diagrams, charts, and multimedia
presentations to enhance comprehension. Visual helps students grasp complex biological
processes, making the information more accessible and memorable.
 Class Discussion and Problem-solving: Foster a collaborative learning environment through class
discussions and problem-solving sessions. Encourage students to articulate their thoughts, ask
questions, and work together to solve biology-related problems. This promotes active
engagement and reinforces conceptual understanding.

Concepts maps are visual representations of information. They can take the form of charts, graphic
organizers, tables, flowcharts, venn diagrams, timelines, or T-charts. Concept maps are especially useful
for students who learn better visually, although they can benefit any type of learner. They are powerful
study strategy because they help you see the big picture: by starting with higher-level concepts, concept
maps help you chunk information based on meaningful connections. In other words, knowing the big
picture makes details more significant and easier to remember.

The concept map involving some aspect of human reproduction.

According to Metcalfe and Shimamura (1994), metacognition is an awareness of one’s thought

processes and an understanding of the patterns behind them. The term comes from the root word
meta, meaning “beyond,” or “on top of.” Metacognition can take many forms, such as reflecting on
one’s way of thing and knowing when and how to use particular strategies for problem-solving.

Some of the strategies you can use to improve students metacognition in a biology class are:

o Reflection Exercises: Incorporate regularly reflection exercises where students think about how
they approach learning, what strategies they use, and what could be improved. This prompts
metacognitive awareness.
o Think-Alouds: Encourage students to verbalize their thought processes while solving problems
or answering questions. This helps them become more aware of their thinking and reasoning.
o Concept Mapping: Assign tasks that require students to create concept maps. This visual
presentation of their understanding helps them see connections and identify gaps in their
knowledge.
o Self-Assessment: Encourage students to assess their own understanding before and after a
lesson. This self-monitoring can lead to better awareness of their learning progress.
 o Goal Setting: Have students set specific learning goals for themselves. This helps in focusing their
efforts and promote a sense of responsibility for their own learning.
o Peer Teaching and Feedback: Engage students in activities where they explain concepts to their
peers. This not only reinforces their own understanding but also provides insights into areas
where they might need further clarification.
o Questioning Techniques: Teach students effective questioning techniques. Encourage them to
ask themselves questions about the material, fostering a habit of critical thinking and self-
inquiry.
o Journals of Learning Logs: Ask students to maintain a learning journal or log where they record
their understanding of concepts, challenges faced, and strategies used to overcome them. This
promotes ongoing reflection.
o Model Metacognition: Explicitly model metacognitive processes during class discussions. Share
your own thinking strategies and how you approach learning challenges.
o Formative Assessment: Use formative assessments regularly. This provides immediate feedback
to students allowing them to adjust their learning strategies based on their performance. By
integrating these strategies, you create an environment that nurtures metacognition, enabling
students to become more aware of their learning processes and ultimately enhancing their
understanding of biology concepts.

The suggested ways of how you can help students reflect on their thinking in your classroom are
discussed below;

 Journaling: Encourage students to maintain reflective journals where they can record their
thoughts, questions, and insights about the topic covered in the class.
 Group Discussions: Foster an environment for group discussions where students can articulate
their ideas, listen to others, and gain diverse perspectives, promoting deeper reflection.
 Think-Pair-Share: Implement the Think-Pair-Share technique, allowing students time to
individually reflect, discuss their thoughts with a partner, and then share with the entire class.
 Exit Tickets: Use exit tickets as a quick reflection tool, promoting students to summarize key
learnings or pose questions at the end of a lesson.
 Socratic Questioning: Incorporate Socratic questioning techniques to guide students in exploring
and articulating their thinking process, promoting critical reflection.
 Concept Mapping: Integrate concept mapping activities, enabling students to visually represent
connections between ideas and identifies gaps in their understanding.
 Metacognitive Strategies: Teach metacognitive strategies, such as self-questioning and self-
monitoring, to help students become more aware of their thinking processes.
 Feedback Loops: Establish regular feedback loops where students receive constructive feedback
on their work, encouraging them to reflect on strengths and areas for improvement.

The instructional strategies that you can use to foster self-regulation skills according to Atkinson,
(2012) are as follows;

 Guide learner’s self-beliefs, goal setting, and expectations: Helps students frame new
information or feedback in a positive rather than a negative manner (e.g., “keeping track of
your homework assignments will help you manage this course successfully,” rather than “if
 you do not keep track you will fail”). Provide specific cues for using self-regulatory
strategies.
 Promote reflective dialogue: Teacher modeling of reflective practices (think-aloud), student
practice with reflective dialogue, group discussions to think through problems/ cases
(collaborative learning).
 Provide creative feedback: Performance standards must be clear and perceived as
attainable, phrase feedback (positive or negative) as a statement about the task of learning,
not about the learner.
 Help learners make connections between abstract concepts: Use case-based instructions or
examples that students come up with themselves, use hands-on learning activities, help
students to separate relevant from irrelevant information (i.e., help them know where and
how to focus their attention; guide their reference standards).
 Help learners link new experiences to prior learning: Use experiential learning activities,
focus on application of knowledge in broader contexts, integrate real-life examples with
classroom information.
 Creating a class schedule: Developing a daily class schedule provides structure and routine
into every day from the start. Create a predictable schedule for students and post it where
they can view it. This is not to say the schedule can not ever change-it will sometimes and
that’s okay! What is important is to discuss and preview those changes when you can.
 Developing routines: Routines turn multi-step directions into habits for students. Consider
what multi-step activities should have routines in your classroom. These may include coming
in the classroom in the morning, starting morning work, turning homework in, finding
homework if a student was out, getting with a group, and transitioning from one task to
another.
 Using Games: Games can be an engaging and fun way to build self-regulation skills. You can
apply these games as a “break) after challenging tasks or even a reward at the end of the
week. Some favorite self-regulation games to try:
o Jenga- As kids remove blocks, they have to be patient, thoughtful, and use self-control.
o Simon Says- Focus on attention and self-regulation skills by listening to what Simon says
to do.
o Self-control Speedway- I designed this boards game to explicitly teach about self-control
and self-regulation skills.
o Transition “like a robot” and acting like a robot as you move.
o Play music.

The role of the factual knowledge in the learning of biology serves as the foundation for
understanding key concepts, processes, and relationships within the living world. It provides the
necessary background information that enables students to grasp complex biological principles,
make connections between different topics, and engage in critical thinking. While application
and analysis are crucial, a solid base of factual knowledge enhances comprehension and
facilitates a deeper understanding of biological phenomena.

Procedural knowledge play a significant role in the learning of biology as it involves

understanding the processes, methods, and techniques used in scientific inquiry and
experimentation. It enables students to apply theoretical concepts in practical settings, conduct
 experiments, analyze data, and draw conclusions. Developing procedural knowledge in biology
is essential for having research skills, fostering a hands-on approach to learning, and preparing
students for scientific exploration and problem-solving within the field.

With specific examples, conceptual knowledge differs from procedural knowledge in that
conceptual knowledge involves understanding concepts, theories, and principles, while
procedural knowledge pertains to knowing how to perform specific tasks or procedures.
Example, in biology knowing that DNA carries genetic information and is composed of
nucleotides is conceptual knowledge. Procedural knowledge, on the other hand, involves
knowing how to do something. In biology, an example is the procedure of polymerase chain
reaction PCR to amplify DNA in a laboratory setting. Understanding the structure of DNA
(conceptual) versus performing PCR (procedural) illustrates the distinction between the two
types of knowledge. Furthermore, conceptual knowledge allows us to collect facts and ideas and
group them into clusters that represent connectivity. For example, collecting factual knowledge
about a particular race, gender or ethnicity over time helps us form generalizations or principles
around any given topic, where as procedural understanding comprises knowledge about or
understanding of scientific methods (e.g. experiments), their limits, and possibilities. For
example, students

test food
substances on rice using a lugol solution. The experimental results showed positive results, where there
was a change in color to blackish blue (Khalick, 2004).

While there is some merit to the idea of building foundational knowledge before developing
into high-level concepts, it is essential to recognize that learning is a dynamic process. Some
students may benefit from a more integrated approach that combines factual, procedural, and
metacognitive knowledge simultaneously. Restricting learners solely to lower-level knowledge
might hinder their ability to make meaningful connections and grasp the broader context of a
subject. A balanced approach, considering individual learning styles and the interplay between
different knowledge levels, could foster a more holistic and effective educational experience.

References

Ashton, P.T (E.d.). (1990) Theme: pedagogical content knowledge [special issue]. Journal of
Teacher Education, 41(3).

Abd-El-Khalick 2004. “Inquiry in Science Education: International Perspective.” Science

Education 88(3): 397-419.

Atkinson, R.D. (2012) Why the current education reform strategy won’t work. Issues in Science
and Technology, Spring 2012: 29-36.

Ball, D.L., and McDiarmid, G.W. (1990). The subject matter preparation of teachers. Handbook of
research on teacher education (pp.437-449). New York: Macmillan.

Konicek-Moran and Keeley,P. (2015). Teaching for conceptual understanding in science.

Arlington: NSTA Press, National Science Teachers Association.
Metcalfe,J,. and Shimamura, A.P. (1994). Metacognition: Knowing about knowing. Cambridge,
MA: MIT Press.