In 1986 Shulman argued that a “missing program” in educational research is the study of teacher pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) or their “…cognitive understanding of subject matter content and the relationships between such understanding and the instruction teachers provide for students” (1986, p.25). Since that time, PCK frameworks have become important constructs in educational research undertaken in the school education system, and a focus for research for curriculum and teacher education researchers. In regards  science, PCK research has been plentiful (see for example Baxter & Lederman, 1999; Lederman & Gess-Newsome, 1999; Mulhall, Berry & Loughran, 2003; Park & Oliver, 2007) but thus far, the concept of PCK (significantly enhanced since its proposal by Shulman in 1986) has only been validated in the school context (Kindergarten to Grade 12). Within this environment, however, it has proven to be a very useful framework (Abell, 2008) for understanding teacher practice (Loughran, Mulhall & Berry, 2004) and contributing to the improvement of teacher education courses (van Dijk & Kattmann, 2007). Hence, knowledge about whether PCK is useful as a as a conceptual framework for science lecturers (teachers) working in higher education is as yet unknown and represents a gap in the research literature; the research outlined here is the first step in exploring its usefulness in this context.

Abell, S.K. (2008). Twenty year later: Does pedagogical content knowledge remain a useful idea? International Journal of Science Education, 30(10), 1405-1416. Gess-Newsome, J., Cardenas, S, and Austin, B.A. (2011). Impact of educative materials and transformative professional development on teachers PCK, practice and student achievement. Paper presented at the Annual International NARST conference. Orlando, FL. April 2 – 6. Lederman, N.G. and Gess-Newsome, J. (1999). Reconceptualising secondary science teaching. In J. Gess-Newsome & N.G. Lederman (Eds.), Examining pedagogical content knowledge. (pp. 199-214). Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Pulbishers. Loughran, J., Mulhall, and Berry, A. (2004). In Search of Pedagogical Content Knowledge in science: Developing Ways of Articulating and Documenting Professional Practice. Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 40(4), 370-391. Magnusson, S., Krajcik, J., & Borko, H. (1999). Nature, Sources, and Development of Pedagogical Content Knowledge for Science Teachers. In J. Gess-Newsome & N. G. Lederman (Ed.), Examining Pedagogical Content Knowledge: The Construct and its Implications for Science Education (pp. 95-132). Netherlands: Kluwer Academic Publishers. Mulhall, P., Berry, A. and Loughran, J. (2003). Frameworks for representing science teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge. Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching, 4(2). Available from http://www.ied.edu.hk/apfslt/v4_issue2/mulhall/ Park, S and Oliver, J.S. (2008). Revisiting the conceptualisation of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK): PCK as a conceptual took to understand teachers as professionals. Research in Science Education 38(3), 261–284. Shulman, L. (1986). Paradigms and research programs in the study of teaching: A contemporary perspective. In M. C. Wittrock (Ed.), Handbook of research on teaching. (3rd ed., pp 3-26). New York: Macmillan. Van Dijk, E.M. and Kattmann, U. (2007). A research model for the study of science teachers’ PCK and improving teacher education. Teaching and Teacher Education, 23, 885-897.