A Comparative Study On Pedagogical Content Knowledge Of Novice And Skilled English Teachers In Junior High School

Pedagogical content knowledge(PCK),the comprehensive and indispensable knowledge teachers should have,directly affects the effectiveness of teaching activities.The English Curriculum Standards for Compulsory Education(2022version)requires teachers to have specialized English subject knowledge.Meanwhile,the society and teachers’ professionalism urge teachers to improve their PCK level.Therefore,based on Park’s pentagonal model,this study explores the PCK of novice and skilled English teachers in junior high school and attempts to answer the following two questions.(1)What pedagogical content knowledge do novice and skilled junior high school English teachers have?(2)What factors influence the pedagogical content knowledge of novice and skilled junior high school English teachers?To answer these questions,a three-month study on one novice and one skilled English teacher at a junior high school in Foshan was conducted.Semi-structured interview,classroom observation,document analysis,and questionnaire were adopted as research instruments.The study showed a difference between teachers’ PCK.Elements of novice teachers’ PCK were inadequate and connections of them needed to be strengthened.Skilled teachers’ PCK elements were stronger and integrated than that of novice teachers.In knowledge of students’ understanding,teachers have different priorities.The novice teacher focuses on students’ personalities,while the skilled one pays more attention to students’ knowledge mastery.Influencing factors of teachers’ PCK include personal factors and external factors.Perceptions of ELT,sensitivity to technology,integration of knowledge,and teaching reflection are closely related to teachers’ characteristics.School requirements,academic development environment,and opportunities to train are external factors.Findings of this study also provide some recommendations for teachers’ PCK.First,English teachers must confront the shortcomings of their knowledge to develop their PCK.Second,schools should pay more attention to teacher training to help teachers form a more comprehensive PCK.