Using longitudinal models to describe preservice science teachers’ development of content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge

Abstract

Cross-sectional studies have revealed the importance of university teacher education for science teachers' professional knowledge. However, a detailed understanding of the development of this knowledge is lacking. Our analysis addresses this gap by applying longitudinal models to elucidate how preservice science teachers’ content knowledge (CK) and pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) evolve. Our results revealed a nonlinear growth for CK and PCK. We found that both interact during their development and that this interaction changes over the course of teacher education. Also, individual (grade point average) and institutional (teacher education program, second science subject) factors are related to their development.