Teachers’ professional competence—their professional knowledge, skills, beliefs and motivation—is a critical predictor of teachers’ professional wellbeing and success. In a sample of 119 in-service ...teachers, the present study examined the associations of two aspects of teachers’ professional competence—their general pedagogical knowledge (GPK) and self-efficacy—with teachers’ likelihood of experiencing burnout, as well as possible differences in these constructs as a function of gender and teaching experience. A path analysis revealed no systematic associations with gender, whereas teaching experience had a curvilinear association with GPK, a negative linear association with self-efficacy, and no significant association with burnout. Mediation analyses suggested that GPK negatively predicted teacher burnout both directly, as well as indirectly via its positive association with teaching self-efficacy. Only teaching-specific but not general self-efficacy functioned as a mediator in these analyses; the identified predictive effects are thus specific to teachers’ professional competence. Possible implications for the prevention of burnout are discussed.
•GPK is related to teaching-specific but not to domain-general self-efficacy.•GPK indirectly negatively predicted teacher burnout, via teaching self-efficacy.•GPK directly negatively predicted depersonalization, controlling for self-efficacy.•There is a curvilinear association between teachers’ GPK and teaching experience.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
Teachers’ professional competence is composed of cognitive (professional knowledge) and affective (professional beliefs) components. These components are generally assumed to be related and to impact ...instructional practice. However, studies simultaneously relating cognitive and affective components to instructional practice are scarce. The present study investigates the relationship between general pedagogical knowledge (GPK), self-efficacy beliefs (SE), and reported instructional practice based on a sample of 342 pre-service teachers. No significant association was observed between GPK and SE. Furthermore, SE significantly predicted all investigated reported instructional practices, although GPK only predicted reported instructional practices that dealt with student support and provision of structure.
•Pre-service teachers' GPK, SE, and reported instructional practice (IP) is examined.•We hypothesize a positive relation between GPK, SE, and reported IP.•Pre-service teachers' GPK and SE are not related.•GPK significantly relates to some scales of IP (student support, providing structure).•SE significantly and strongly relates to all scales of reported IP.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
We examine how the declarative-conceptual general pedagogical knowledge (GPK) assessed via a paper-and-pencil test can be understood as a premise for early career teachers' ability to notice and ...interpret classroom situations assessed via video-vignettes. Longitudinal data from TEDS-M conducted in 2008 at the end of teacher education and a follow-up study in Germany in 2012 is used. Teachers' skills to notice and interpret differ. Interpreting correlates with the current level of GPK, whereas noticing does not. GPK at the end of teacher education neither predicts noticing nor interpreting, which suggests teachers' cognitions are reorganized during the transition into teaching.
•General pedagogical knowledge and skills can be distinguished empirically.•Teachers' noticing and interpreting skills can be distinguished empirically.•Interpreting substantially correlates with knowledge, whereas noticing does not.•Knowledge acquired during training does not predict in-service teachers' skills.•Teachers' cognitions are reorganized during transition from training to teaching.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
The relation between teacher knowledge and skills and how these were influenced by teacher education was examined with 171 secondary mathematics teachers. Six paper-and-pencil and video tests were ...applied to assess content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge and general pedagogical knowledge as well as diagnostic, teaching and classroom management skills. It was hypothesized that the relation between these six cognitive facets was best approximated by distinguishing between levels of generalizability across different mathematics teaching situations. The data strongly supported this model in confirmatory factor analyses. The data also revealed the hypothesized differential relations between teacher cognitions and teacher education.
•171 teachers were tested on content-related and general knowledge and skills.•CFA distinguished between levels of generalizability across teaching situations.•Domain-specific, assessment-specific and one-dimensional cognitive models fit worse.•Grades in the teaching exam were positively related to situation-specific skills.•General cognitive abilities were positively related to knowledge and skills.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
The aim of the paper is to identify different groups of in-service teachers based on their general pedagogical knowledge (GPK) and self-efficacy beliefs and to explore potential differences among ...these groups regarding their instructional quality and commitments to teaching. A sample of 161 in-service subject teachers (science, mathematics, or Estonian language) who taught in lower secondary schools in Estonia were included in the study. Data was collected with a GPK test and self-reported questionnaires on instructional quality and commitments to teaching in the context of an OECD Teacher Knowledge Survey. Based on the cluster analysis, three groups of in-service teachers were identified: "the over-confident" teachers with average self-efficacy and very low GPK, "the competent" teachers with high self-efficacy and GPK, and "the insecure" teachers with low self-efficacy and average GPK. These three types of teachers were different in terms of instructional quality and commitments to teaching. It seemed that teachers' self-efficacy beliefs are more important than GPK for instructional quality; however, GPK is more important for teachers' professional persistence illuminating their general sense of professional identity. Implications of these findings for teacher education and teacher retention will be discussed.
The authors first ask to what extent future teachers in Germany endorse teaching motivations indicated by the FIT-Choice scale. This includes reporting on the confirmatory factor analysis they ...carried out to examine and to replicate the FIT-Choice scale structure in the specific cultural context of Germany with a sample of 1287 preservice teachers. Secondly, they investigate the relationship between future teachers' teaching motivations and their general pedagogical knowledge (GPK) using a subsample of 130 preservice teachers whose GPK was tested twice. Here the authors examine effects of preservice teachers' motivations for choosing teaching on their GPK. Among other findings of our study (1) the FIT-Choice instrument's factor structure is replicated, (2) the motivation profile typical for preservice teachers in Germany is replicated, (3) evidence is provided that intrinsic motivation is positively correlated, whereas extrinsic motivation is negatively correlated, with GPK at the first occasion of measurement, (4) extrinsic motivation has a positive effect on learning gain, whereas intrinsic motivation has not.
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BFBNIB, DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
It is widely assumed that teachers play a key role in providing high-quality learning opportunities to students and fostering students’ learning. Yet it is still unclear how specific teacher ...knowledge facets as part of their professional competence contribute to classroom processes and learning outcomes. Focusing on mathematics education at the secondary level, this study investigates the links between teachers’ pedagogical competence (i.e., cognitive pedagogical facets of their professional competence), instructional quality, and students’ mathematics achievement. The sample comprises mathematics teacher and student data from 59 classrooms in Germany.
Student mathematics achievement
was measured across two time points (grade 7 and 8). Teachers’ pedagogical competence was tested using two tests measuring their general pedagogical knowledge (GPK) and situation-specific classroom management expertise (CME). Instructional quality was measured using observational rating data from in vivo rating in mathematics classrooms. Research questions on the relation of teachers’ competence and students’ mathematics achievement were answered using multilevel models. Results from multilevel regression analyses indicate that both GPK and CME predict instructional quality. Direct statistical effects on students’ mathematical progress were identified, whereas no indirect statistical effects via instructional quality could be identified. Although teachers’ measured pedagogical competence is not subject-specific, it serves as a significant predictor for cognitive activation as an indispensable part of quality-oriented mathematical teaching and learning processes in the lower secondary mathematics classroom, and it contributes to students’ mathematical progress.
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DOBA, EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
•We examine effects of opportunities to learn (OTL) on general pedagogical knowledge.•Hierarchical linear modeling is applied using a sample with two time points.•OTL measures of pedagogical content ...and teaching practice effect the knowledge gain.•Pedagogical content effects are on the individual and the program level.•Teaching practice effects are on the individual level of future teachers only.
Empirical studies in higher education are needed that systematically connect program characteristics to program outcomes. We therefore examine the effects of opportunities to learn in teacher preparation on future teachers’ general pedagogical knowledge. A sample of 1347 student teachers from 37 teacher preparation programs in 18 universities and pedagogical colleges in Germany and Austria with two time points is used. Results using hierarchical linear modeling show that measures of learning opportunities related to pedagogical content and teaching practice influence the gain in knowledge. Whereas measures for pedagogical content related to areas of didactics (adaptivity in teaching, structuring lessons) show effects on the knowledge gain both on the individual and on the program level, teaching practice measures related to in-school opportunities to learn have effects only on the individual level of future teachers. Implications for the effectiveness of teacher preparation and research suggestions are discussed.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
Lesson planning of teachers as a research field has received little attention in terms of modelling and measuring relevant competences. As an innovative measurement approach, we developed a ...standardised method for analysing written plans of demonstration lessons. Our focus is on the demand of pedagogical adaptivity, i.e., the ways in which lesson assignments fit with the cognitive level of learners so that they are guided into their zone of proximal development. This conceptualisation is operationalised by using several indicators (content analysis criteria) to reconstruct and quantify situation-specific planning perception, interpretation, and decision-making. We use the data from 172 preservice teachers in Germany with their first demonstration lesson during induction. Findings show their declarative general pedagogical knowledge of adaptivity (assessed via a standardised test) is a significant predictor for the situation-specific skill of pedagogical adaptivity in written lesson plans, and the latter effects preservice teachers' self-reported instructional practice of teaching that lesson. Findings are discussed towards their implication for the design of teacher education.
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BFBNIB, DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
A characterization of the teaching of three chemistry professors was carried out using a case study with a phenomenographic approach to explore chemistry teachers’ general pedagogical knowledge (GPK) ...through teachers’ self-reflection. A video stimulated recall technique was used to identify and examine teachers’ thoughts and decisions, as well as the reasons for driving their behavior. The results showed that these teachers concentrated most of their GPK in eight categories, three of them reported in the literature with the highest frequencies. This could indicate that GPK emerged in different facets depending on the institutional context, and therefore, their teaching experience. This study also identifies three new categories of GPK not reported before: Applying learned concepts and abilities, student-student interaction, and assessment. Therefore, a new perspective on pedagogical content knowledge research is open that will lead us to future research.
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