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Improving and Enhancing Pedagogy in Specific Content Areas Improving and Enhancing Pedagogy in Specific Content
Areas
Subject disciplines are associated with characteristic and established knowledge structures. Danielson (2009) describes
subject disciplines as having “a dominant structure, with smaller components or strands as well as central concepts
and skills.” Effective teachers are able to incorporate specific subject needs into lesson plans and formulate appropriate
instructional outcomes. Awareness of the relationships between commonly acknowledged demands of different subjects
enables the knowledgeable teacher to support students by encouraging them to draw upon prior-learned skills and
content. Distinct disciplines have evolved unique pedagogies that unlock the most effective approaches to teaching.
Students
McTighe and Wiggins (2012) urge educators to find consensus and clarity in recognizing that independent transfer of
knowledge and skills is a primary reason for content teaching and learning. Students can only be judged to have really
understood content when they are able to apply learning independently, in authentic situations, and without a teacher
or supervisor giving directions. Teachers should be providing experiences for students that enable them to handle new
situations independently by means of drawing upon a bank of learning experiences in order to develop appropriate
strategies and solutions. McTighe and Wiggins propose that students are prepared for this independent transference of
learning by designing learning experiences that expose them to more “problem- and project-based learning, small-group
inquiries, Socratic seminars, and independent studies” (p.9).
Content-specific Strategies
The skilled teacher is able to sort and transform pedagogical content knowledge in order to present students with an
optimally accessible learning experience. The experienced teacher is able to anticipate which topics present the greatest
challenges within their subject discipline and plan accordingly. Knowledge of students enables the teacher to harness
and build upon prior-learning in order to teach concepts more effectively. The teacher with a deep knowledge of subject
matter is able to recognize links between concepts and offer flexibility in understanding how students develop thoughts
and map ideas. Depth of understanding is key to making meaningful links with other subject disciplines and provides
teachers with the confidence to embed learning with authentic life experiences. Solis (2009) maintains that subjects
such as language, science, mathematics, and social studies contain unique strands of subject-specific pedagogical content
knowledge. Additionally, there are areas of pedagogical content knowledge that transcend and link subjects.
The Measures of Effective Teaching Project (2010) cites the research of Lee Shulman to describe pedagogical content
knowledge “as comprising an understanding of the content being taught; a mastery of the illustrations, examples and
explanations that best support students’ learning.” The effective teacher is able to appreciate the challenges of learning
content within their discipline and adapt instruction for students at various developmental stages and from a variety of
backgrounds.
Mathematics. Mathematics is a subject that requires skilled teaching at an early stage in order to build a sound
framework of understanding in preparation for later years. Wilson (2010) outlines some of the essential and detailed
elements of mathematics learning that should be emphasised in the elementary classroom. Mathematics is founded in
numbers. Students need to learn counting and the instant recall of single digit numbers before they are able to tackle
addition and multiplication. Place value provides the “organizing and unifying principle” for mathematics learning and,
according to Wilson, many students would benefit from more attention to this essential component of math learning.
Arithmetic and algebra, in later years, are dependent upon an understanding of place value. Much of mathematics is a
generalization of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of whole numbers. Mastery of these operations
gives “students power over numbers and, by learning them, gives students and teachers a common language.” The
four basic arithmetic operations with whole numbers can be extended to working with fractions and decimals. The
understanding of fractions is a critical ingredient prerequisite for algebra and handling the concept of ratio. Problem
solving is an important skill that is introduced early in a student’s mathematical education, “especially word or story
problems.” The complexity of problems progresses from one step to complex multi-step problems. Such problems
provide the experience of translating words into mathematics. Mathematics is dependent upon precise communication
and students, even at elementary level, need to be aware of the commonly understood meanings of symbols and terms.
Mathematics requires a balance between computational skills and subject knowledge, and the ability to develop a strategy
and argument. French (2005) explains how teachers are able to best support learning when they display the abilities to
use both mathematical and pedagogical knowledge. French maintains that effective teaching requires “an awareness of
common misconceptions and ways of looking at them, the importance of forging links and connections between different
mathematical ideas and the flexibility that comes from seeing alternative ways of looking at the same idea.” Research
categorizes elementary school mathematics teachers as displaying varying degrees of a mixture of three styles labelled
Areas
Subject disciplines are associated with characteristic and established knowledge structures. Danielson (2009) describes
subject disciplines as having “a dominant structure, with smaller components or strands as well as central concepts
and skills.” Effective teachers are able to incorporate specific subject needs into lesson plans and formulate appropriate
instructional outcomes. Awareness of the relationships between commonly acknowledged demands of different subjects
enables the knowledgeable teacher to support students by encouraging them to draw upon prior-learned skills and
content. Distinct disciplines have evolved unique pedagogies that unlock the most effective approaches to teaching.
Students
McTighe and Wiggins (2012) urge educators to find consensus and clarity in recognizing that independent transfer of
knowledge and skills is a primary reason for content teaching and learning. Students can only be judged to have really
understood content when they are able to apply learning independently, in authentic situations, and without a teacher
or supervisor giving directions. Teachers should be providing experiences for students that enable them to handle new
situations independently by means of drawing upon a bank of learning experiences in order to develop appropriate
strategies and solutions. McTighe and Wiggins propose that students are prepared for this independent transference of
learning by designing learning experiences that expose them to more “problem- and project-based learning, small-group
inquiries, Socratic seminars, and independent studies” (p.9).
Content-specific Strategies
The skilled teacher is able to sort and transform pedagogical content knowledge in order to present students with an
optimally accessible learning experience. The experienced teacher is able to anticipate which topics present the greatest
challenges within their subject discipline and plan accordingly. Knowledge of students enables the teacher to harness
and build upon prior-learning in order to teach concepts more effectively. The teacher with a deep knowledge of subject
matter is able to recognize links between concepts and offer flexibility in understanding how students develop thoughts
and map ideas. Depth of understanding is key to making meaningful links with other subject disciplines and provides
teachers with the confidence to embed learning with authentic life experiences. Solis (2009) maintains that subjects
such as language, science, mathematics, and social studies contain unique strands of subject-specific pedagogical content
knowledge. Additionally, there are areas of pedagogical content knowledge that transcend and link subjects.
The Measures of Effective Teaching Project (2010) cites the research of Lee Shulman to describe pedagogical content
knowledge “as comprising an understanding of the content being taught; a mastery of the illustrations, examples and
explanations that best support students’ learning.” The effective teacher is able to appreciate the challenges of learning
content within their discipline and adapt instruction for students at various developmental stages and from a variety of
backgrounds.
Mathematics. Mathematics is a subject that requires skilled teaching at an early stage in order to build a sound
framework of understanding in preparation for later years. Wilson (2010) outlines some of the essential and detailed
elements of mathematics learning that should be emphasised in the elementary classroom. Mathematics is founded in
numbers. Students need to learn counting and the instant recall of single digit numbers before they are able to tackle
addition and multiplication. Place value provides the “organizing and unifying principle” for mathematics learning and,
according to Wilson, many students would benefit from more attention to this essential component of math learning.
Arithmetic and algebra, in later years, are dependent upon an understanding of place value. Much of mathematics is a
generalization of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of whole numbers. Mastery of these operations
gives “students power over numbers and, by learning them, gives students and teachers a common language.” The
four basic arithmetic operations with whole numbers can be extended to working with fractions and decimals. The
understanding of fractions is a critical ingredient prerequisite for algebra and handling the concept of ratio. Problem
solving is an important skill that is introduced early in a student’s mathematical education, “especially word or story
problems.” The complexity of problems progresses from one step to complex multi-step problems. Such problems
provide the experience of translating words into mathematics. Mathematics is dependent upon precise communication
and students, even at elementary level, need to be aware of the commonly understood meanings of symbols and terms.
Mathematics requires a balance between computational skills and subject knowledge, and the ability to develop a strategy
and argument. French (2005) explains how teachers are able to best support learning when they display the abilities to
use both mathematical and pedagogical knowledge. French maintains that effective teaching requires “an awareness of
common misconceptions and ways of looking at them, the importance of forging links and connections between different
mathematical ideas and the flexibility that comes from seeing alternative ways of looking at the same idea.” Research
categorizes elementary school mathematics teachers as displaying varying degrees of a mixture of three styles labelled
