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Standard 1.3 Pedagogical Content Knowledge for Teacher Candidates
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Standard 1.0: Overview

Standard 1.1 Content Knowledge for Teacher Candidates

Standard 1.2 Content Knowledge for Other Professional School Personnel

Standard 1.3 Pedagogical Content Knowledge for Teacher Candidates

Standard 1.4 Professional and Pedagogical Knowledge, Skills and Dispositions for Teacher Candidates

Standard 1.5 Professional Knowledge and Skills for Other School Personnel

Standard 1.6 Dispositions for All Candidates

Standard 1.7 Student Learning for Teacher Candidates

Standard 1.8 Student Learning for Other Professional School Persnnel

Standard 1: Recommendations/Summary

Exhibits and Displays for Standard 1

Initial elementary candidates develop pedagogical content knowledge through the elementary distributed minor in Teacher Education or equivalent graduate courses in Graduate Teacher Certification. All 21-25 credits of the distributed minor are taught by faculty within the discipline or Education faculty with specialty credentials. The range of topics includes strategies in reading, literacy, mathematics, performing arts, writing and literature, physical education, social science instruction, and strategies for teaching science.

Elementary special education candidates choose from the same or equivalent array of courses with but one or two exceptions. Additionally, the special education curriculum includes pedagogical content skills for two disability areas. These courses include methods and curriculum in special education, studies in emotional and cognitive impairment, instructional practices and procedures in emotional impairment, cognitive impairment, and learning disabilities. Special education endorsements may be earned through undergraduate or graduate courses.

Secondary candidates develop pedagogical content knowledge through the content major and content minor which, together, can total 55 to 100 credit hours depending on the disciplines. Most content areas also have courses devoted to instructional aspects of the specific discipline. Secondary candidates take a two-hour weekly content seminar in addition to the weekly Education seminar during their first field semester (ED 331). This additional seminar covers content area methodology and instructional strategies, is taught by faculty in the major, and includes field observation by the content faculty instructor.

Assessments for Pedagogical Content Knowledge

The first course in the Initial program, Introduction to Education (ED 200), is linked to the Planning and Preparation standard (Domain 1). The key assessment requires students to construct a lesson plan demonstrating knowledge of content, pedagogy, students, resources, and instructional design. These skills build through the final clinical semester:

Initial: Course Assessment (Pedagogical Content Knowledge)

Candidate work samples may be reviewed in the on-site exhibit room. Also note below*

*Two factors may have contributed to lower scores on this assessment than seen so far: 1) The score range was 0-3 rather than the more common 1-3; and 2) ED 200 enrollees are not yet "candidates." Many choose not to pursue teaching; others fail to meet requirements.

Each Advanced emphasis area gives particular attention to instructional strategies that draw upon content and pedagogical knowledge. Courses include curriculum development, methods and materials, instructional strategies, best practices and methodologies. Other courses and assessments in both programs emphasize pedagogical content knowledge.

Initial and Advanced-Teachers: Other Course Assessments for Pedagogical Content Knowledge

To link to syllabi and assessments of record, refer to individual courses above or Assessment System (Initial, Advanced). Candidate work samples may also be reviewed in the on-site exhibit room

Competence for Initial candidates in using technology for instruction is most directly developed through Computers in Education (ED 205) or Microcomputers in the Classroom (EDG 619). As candidates proceed through the professional program, all lesson plans and unit plans must include technology components, and field experiences require the use of technology in practice. Initial candidate data for ED 205 showed 83.8% of candidates scoring Proficient or Distinguished; EDG 619 data showed a 99% rate for those categories:

Initial and Advanced: Course Assessment (Pedagogical Content Knowledge-Technology)

To view Assessment Directions and Sample Project for EDG 619, refer to EDG 619-Online.

Domain 1 is most closely linked to pedagogical content knowledge for Initial candidates, NBPTS 2 for Advanced candidates:

Initial and Advanced: Clinical Assessment and Follow-Up Studies (Pedagogical Content Knowledge)

For complete data on programs and sub-areas, refer to Clinical Assessment Data and Follow-Up Studies Data (Initial and Advanced).

Grand Valley State University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution