Types of Pedagogical Content Knowledge in Chemistry
Bond-Robinson J. (2005).
Identifying pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) in
the chemistry laboratory, Chemistry Education Research and Practice 6, 83-103. Abstract: This study was carried out in the chemical teaching laboratory with new graduate students while they were guided to develop pedagogical content knowledge, PCK. PCK is expertise that demonstrates a combined knowledge of pedagogy and disciplinary subject matter; since chemistry is the discipline, the abbreviation, PChK, is used. Laboratory teaching functions for student learning entail guidance of chemical techniques, and abstract chemical concepts relevant to the lab experiment, that is, chemical explanations using concepts conceived by chemists rather than perceived, e.g., atoms and chemical bonds. Instruments were built with constructivist content and attained construct validity and internal consistency to measure teaching performance. A factor analysis reduced fifteen constructs to three forms of PChK,
whose names reflect the level of chemical knowledge and pedagogical
sophistication required. Mentoring activities were labeled as PChK-0. PChK-1
represents procedural knowledge to manage a chemistry laboratory. PChK-2
represents devising or generating transforming explanations connected to the
students’ knowledge and previous experiences. A ‘transforming explanation’ is
defined as a discipline-specific illustration of how people in that discipline
think about a disciplinary process, which is linked by the explanation to
students’ thinking about that same disciplinary-related process. PChK-3 guides
students in chemistry-specific reasoning and generating transforming
explanations for themselves. Examples of PChK-2 and PChK-3, using two chemical
topics, are provided.
Design Experiments
Bond-Robinson J. and Rodriques R.B. (2006),
Catalyzing
Graduate Teaching Assistants' Laboratory Teaching through Design Research,
Journal of Chemical Education 83 (2), 313-323. Abstract: We report on a study of a laboratory teaching apprenticeship
program designed to improve graduate teaching assistant (GTA) performance. To
catalyze GTAs as laboratory teachers we constructed learning goals, synthesized
previous literature into a design model and a developmental path, and built two
instruments to measure 12 strategic pedagogical interactions. The resulting
model is a cognitive apprenticeship. The instructors encourage GTAs to teach
chemical knowledge by guiding their undergraduates' reasoning—in addition to
explicit transmission of chemical knowledge. The new graduate course was refined
over 5 fall semesters and 83 graduate students. Qualitative audio-video
supplemented statistical data. Valid and reliable data, collected from coding 12
strategic interactions while GTAs taught a lab, were used to judge effectiveness
of teaching in terms of pedagogical chemical knowledge (PChK). Three types of
laboratory PChK are defined and described. The results show that 45% of new GTAs
developed higher forms of PChK. Exemplary GTAs found that the extended time in
lab is an advantageous occasion to teach UGs how to reason with chemical
concepts; their actions utilized a constructivist learning model focused on
directing students to reason, thereby increasing students' abilities to reason.
Some 8% of new GTAs developed only the lowest form of PChK, procedural teaching.
Instruments
Bond-Robinson J. and
Rodriques R.B. (2005).
Instruments to drive effective constructivist laboratory
teaching, The Chemical Educator,
10 (2), 154-163. Abstract: In our implementation of a graduate teaching assistant (GTA)
course, two instruments were built to drive and assess constructivist laboratory
teaching by GTAs. Due to the advent of remotely acquired audio-video
observations using the local area network (LAN), research investigations of
laboratories became easier, produced higher quality data, and were less
distracting to laboratory workers. We coached each GTA by analyzing videotaped
observations of 2 to 4 hours of teaching a laboratory section. The instructor
coding of the TA teaching (ITAT) instrument formed the basis for assessing
frequency and quality of GTAs’ interactions with students. The undergraduate
students (UG) assessed their TA using the UGATA at semester’s end. We discuss
how we established content and constructed validity. Data reduction from a
factor analysis decreased the strategic constructs to two underlying and
independent factors, which we defined as actions requiring chemical knowledge
and mentoring. The reliabilities of the instructors’ and UGs’ instrument reached
a high Cronbach alpha of 0.86 and 0.95, respectively, in the 4th course
iteration. The final forms of the ITAT and UGATA instruments are shown.
Differing Evaluative Perspectives on Teaching
Rodriques R.B. and Bond-Robinson J., (2006).
Faculty versus student
perspectives of graduate teaching assistants' teaching, Journal of Chemical
Education 83 (2), 305-312. Abstract: Assessments of teaching quality by undergraduates (UGs) and
faculty are illustrated in this study of new graduate students training as TAs (GTAs).
The GTAs' instructors (FAC) coached them while they taught labs, and coded
teaching interactions on the valid and reliable ITAT instrument (Cronbach's a =
0.863). Interactions were documented by a remote audio-visual observational
system. Audio-visual clips and ITAT feedback were used to foster GTAs'
development in managing a chemical lab procedurally, and teaching chemical
concepts. The UGs assessed their TA with the UGATA instrument (Cronbach's a =
0.953). Our research compared the FAC rating of GTAs to UGs' end-of-semester
ratings. The UG and FAC ratings were similar on procedural management
interactions, but not on concept teaching. The FAC saw significantly less
quality in GTAs' interactions that linked concepts from lecture into lab and
explained abstract concepts basic to the lab experiment. In fact, UG ratings
failed to note significant differences between teaching of procedural knowledge
and teaching of abstract concepts that were fundamental chemically to the lab
experiment. While over 75% of GTAs executed management interactions well, only
30–40% of GTAs were actively attempting to teach concepts and to help UGs reason
conceptually in chemistry.
Nature of Explanations
Bond-Robinson J., (2004).
Paradoxical perspectives: Seeming or real contradictions in the nature of
explanations, relevance, and organization. In J. Eddy (Ed.), Reflections from
the Classroom: A collection of essays on teaching written by notable teachers at
the University of Kansas (Vol. 6, pp. 11-16). Lawrence, KS: Center for
Teaching Excellence. . Abstract:
