Characterization of Science Teachers’ Teaching Practices Using Pedagogical Content Knowledge Perspectives in a Developing Country with a Highly Centralized Education System

Abstract

This study aimed to understand Malaysian physics teachers’ teaching practices from a pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) perspective. The physics topic of interest was Archimedes’ principle. A multiple-case study approach was used, and classroom teaching observations and audio records of teaching, interviews, and collection of documents were the data sources on the teachers’ teaching practices and their knowledge about their practices. This study found that two national contextual amplifiers, the national assessment and curriculum, were strongly associated with the teachers’ PCK in practice. Their uses of teaching activities and representations were mostly consistent with these two national contextual amplifiers. Nonetheless, the teachers had freedom to choose and use any teaching activities and representations that they deemed appropriate for students, demonstrating the personal nature of their PCK in practice. This study suggests that the national curriculum is a source of canonical PCK because the official curriculum directly informed the teachers about the subject matter of teaching Archimedes’ principle, and it is a nationwide curriculum sanctioned by the Ministry of Education. The main recommendation from this study is for the Ministry of Education to consider changing the national contextual amplifiers in order to transform science teachers’ PCK in practice.