GROUP 1 FIELD STUDY
"A Joyful Journey Towards the Center of Teaching"
DOMAIN 1:
CONTENT KNOWLEDGE AND PEDAGOGY
"Teaching is not just about imparting knowledge; it's about inspiring change"
William Yeats, Former Senator of the Irish Free State
DOMAIN 1:
Content Knowledge and Pedagogy
Domain 1 recognizes the importance of teachers’ mastery of content knowledge and its interconnectedness within and across curriculum areas, coupled with a sound and critical understanding of the application of theories and principles of teaching and learning. This Domain encompasses teachers’ ability to apply developmentally appropriate and meaningful pedagogy grounded on content knowledge and current research. This part of our Blog focuses on a means in creating research-based knowledge, action research. Action research is a dynamic process that is categorized under applied research. It is focused on solving practitioners’ local problems wherein an action plan plays a significant role in the execution of such work (Johnson & Christensen, 2020).
INTRODUCTION
Teachers play a crucial role in education by balancing content knowledge and pedagogical skills. They need a deep understanding of their subject to design effective curricula, adapt to diverse student needs, and provide accurate information. Teachers also use various instructional strategies, assessments, and classroom management techniques. They integrate content knowledge pedagogy by connecting concepts to real-world applications, fostering critical thinking, and providing meaningful feedback. Continuous professional development is essential for teachers to refine their skills and stay current in their subject areas.
"Content Knowledge" and "Pedagogy" are vital for effective teaching in education. The combination of the two is called "Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK)." Educators should understand the subject and use effective teaching strategies tailored to their students' needs. Continuous development of both content knowledge and pedagogical skills is essential for successful teaching and learning. It would help not only the teachers but also the students as it would enhance the instruction.
On the other hand, pre-service teachers play a vital role in developing their content knowledge and pedagogical skills. Through in-depth studies, they master the subject matter, learn instructional strategies, classroom management, and assessment techniques, and gain hands-on experience during practicums. Pre-service teachers engage in reflective practices, seek guidance from mentors, and undergo continuous professional development, equipping them to become effective educators.
FIELD STUDY 1
ACTIVITY 1 – Teacher's Knowledge on Content and Pedagogy
LET'S ANALYZE!
Question #1
Are the learning principles applied by the teacher appropriate with the nature of the learners and learning conditions? Why or why not?
Answer
We believe that every student has to build the fundamental skills and learn additional information in order to accomplish complicated activities, whether they are academic or practical in nature, and the ultimate goal or objective of every school is for the students to understand when and how to use the knowledge and skills they acquired during the learning process. Yes, the learning principles applied by the teacher are appropriate with the nature of the learners and learning conditions. Given the characteristics of the students and their learning contexts, our cooperating teacher, Mr. Jesus Arenas, has integrated the appropriate principles into his regular lessons by making use of communication tools like a TV monitor, YouTube tutorial videos, and the likes. Also, he used an inquiry-based approach in his lecture, asking probing questions and encouraging students to master different skills by giving them necessary activities, and the learning principle, which states that an active learner's engagement demands responsive, supporting environments. These enabled students to engage actively in the lesson, contributing their thoughts and ideas to the class, which his students appeared to desire to happen since they are the star section. Furthermore, his inquiry-based approach gave opportunity for open discussion, which encouraged participation and increased their overall learning experience, which really suited the situation when students encountered difficulty answering problems that are requiring in depth mastery of the topic.
FIELD STUDY 1
ACTIVITY 1 – Teacher's Knowledge on Content and Pedagogy
LET'S ANALYZE!
Question #2
Did you observe passive learners? If yes, what might be their reasons why they are passive/silent?
Answer
Yes, we observed. Their reasons might be having low self-esteem, preferring to learn just by listening, taking tests, etc., or having mastered intrapersonal skills that make them less engaged in class discussions and/or problem in their house or in something that is not related on their subject (this occupies their mind and makes them decide to be shy so as they will not be called in recitation), being afraid of making mistakes or giving incorrect answers, possessing lack of understanding of the lesson which makes it difficult to catch up on the flow of the discussion and lack of interest on the topic, and the teacher’s method of teaching is not suited to their learning style. However, despite having students’ differences in the classroom, Mr. Arenas ensured that no one was left behind and everyone was treated equally.
FIELD STUDY 1
ACTIVITY 1 – Teacher's Knowledge on Content and Pedagogy
LET'S ANALYZE!
Question #3
Are the communication strategies used by the teacher appropriate to the level of the learners?
Answer
The communication techniques used by Mr. Arenas were suitable for the students' level. By using these communication strategies: friendliness, giving examples, giving space and time, dress (what you wear), conciseness, clarification, brevity, asking questions, rapport, facial expression, clarity, acknowledgement, gesture, posture, eye contact, and active listening, he consistently maintains the perfect balance between being firm and approachable with his students as the majority of the students are performing exceptionally well and paying close attention on his discussions. Overall, the teacher was able to take the appropriate steps to treat them fairly and appropriately as students, including giving them engaging tasks and resources to help them expand and sharpen their knowledge.
FIELD STUDY 1
ACTIVITY 1 – Teacher's Knowledge on Content and Pedagogy
LET'S ANALYZE!
Question #4
If you are the teacher, what possible learning principle(s) and strategy(ies) would you apply to elicit meaningful learning?
Answer
For learning strategy, we would apply retrieval practice, elaboration, concrete examples, dual coding, note-taking, frequent recitation, and collaborative learning. For learning principles, we would apply (1) the student’s learning is improved when they receive focused feedback in addition to goal-directed practice, (2) the students need to learn to keep an eye on and modify their learning strategies in order to become self-directed learners, and (3) the students better retain information when they actively engage with the material, such as through discussions, problem-solving, and hands-on activities.
FIELD STUDY 1
ACTIVITY 1 – Teacher's Knowledge on Content and Pedagogy
LET'S REFLECT!
Question #1
Among the principles of learning, which one is the most important for you? Substantiate your answer.
Answer
For us, active engagement, learners master basic and component skills through practice, acquiring and applying habits of mind improves learning performance, and understanding by design are the most important.
Active engagement in learning brings a whole new level of understanding. When someone is involved in activities, discussions, or problem-solving tasks, his/her brains work harder, connecting the dots and making sense of information. It is like learning by doing, and that is powerful. This principle makes learning more exciting and helps us remember things better because we are not just hearing or reading but we are doing and experiencing.
The principle of mastering basic and component skills through practice is to build a solid foundation, foster understanding, and get students to face the difficulties of more advanced mathematics. It develops various skills, reinforces mathematical concepts, and retains knowledge making it a fundamental aspect of effective mathematics education.
Acquiring and applying habits of mind includes persisting, managing impulsivity, listening with understanding and empathy, thinking flexibly, thinking about thinking, striving for accuracy, questioning and posing problems, and applying past knowledge to new situations. These are important in learning Mathematics and in real world as well.
Understanding by design ensures that teachers do not just cover content but makes students grasp it deeply. When teachers use this approach, it is like building a strong foundation for learning, making sure students do not just memorize facts but comprehend the concepts. It is important because it helps students retain knowledge longer and apply it in real-life situations, which is the ultimate goal of education.
FIELD STUDY 1
ACTIVITY 1 – Teacher's Knowledge on Content and Pedagogy
LET'S REFLECT!
Question #2
What insight did you learn from the class activities that you have observed?
Answer
The insights that we learn are (1) class must be engaging, and you are up to date, (2) assign interactive tasks with reflection, (3) involvement yields learning, and (4) usage of diverse teaching strategies.
Engaging class is having students that are enjoying and not feeling boredom when doing an activity, all are delighted while learning. Being up-to-date means often becoming exact or near to their generation’s trends. This also means being updated on what is happening around them – may it be social, global, or political awareness. With these, you should aim for making students realize the path that they want to pursue in life by assigning activities.
Assigning interactive tasks with reflection is engaging because it prompts collaboration among students which led to heightened participation and deeper comprehension, increases student enthusiasm and engagement since interactive tasks are based on personal experiences or real-world applicability, accommodates various learning styles since it is assigned by group than individually, and integrates technology since its one purpose is to capture students’ attention while also facilitating richer, more interactive learning experiences. By including reflection in activities, teachers helped students synthesize their knowledge and evaluate their own development, which reaffirms the significance of metacognition in the learning process.
Involvement yields learning is, for us, synonymous with the saying “learning by doing”. When students get a chance to talk and share their ideas, they learn a lot from each other. When students discuss and work together, it is not just the teaching, but it is everyone learning from one another. It is most special when the activities are hands-on or involve doing something, students appear to remember everything.
Usage of diverse teaching strategies is about tailoring one’s method to accommodate various learning styles, emphasizing real-life application of content, making habit the formative assessment, fostering an inclusive and supportive classroom environment, and encouraging collaboration and participation among students.
Group Video Presentation
You can watch our group video presentation about Activity 1 – Teacher's Knowledge on Content and Pedagogy.
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