Pedagogical content of knowledge (PCK) is a term in an educational perspective to refer to various interrelated areas of knowledge that science educators apply. The most useful domains in PCK are the distinct content familiarity and knowledge of pedagogy applied in teaching. PCK can be comprehensive since it does not touch on all fields that teaching entails (Murayama, 2016). It may consist of awareness of learners’ misconceptions or primitive opinions concerning the subject they are being introduced to by the teachers. This paper explores the subject from a journal that discusses PCK in teaching special needs. Through the paper, the reader will find how they can use PCK ideas provided in the sources to improve their teaching.
Through the ideas presented, teachers may obtain more information on developing a high-quality instructional behavior while teaching. Teachers can use PCK to address different topics while teaching special attention learners such as students with autism, down syndrome, and physical deformities (Murayama, 2016). For example, when teaching a student who has a hearing impairment, PCK prepares teachers to understand the best teaching model for different subjects. Suppose the activity is based on illustrational concepts. In that case, tutors are likely to use modern technology such as Classcraft to demonstrate various ideas to students who challenge absorbing sound effects. Through PCK, teachers are equipped with relatively relevant vocabulary and terminologies to apply when teaching a given content.
Special education learners are handled in a unique when imposing knowledge in academic environments. PCK enables teachers to explore the environment by a series of groups that need to be taught and what risks and drawbacks each group has. Exploring the environment helps the teacher know what a learner is with during classwork (Murayama, 2016). For example, students with autism will tend to have challenges in speech and nonverbal communication. Therefore, a teacher will find the most convenient way to express their information by using techniques such as repetitive demonstration and moderate speed when teaching.
The article has clear ideas on how teachers can utilize PCK by identifying and acting on the issues that regulate stability when teaching special education groups. The specific qualities that PCK calls for when administering work in school are declaration, action, and design (Murayama, 2016). Through the declaration, a teacher is bound to have a specific method of dealing with classwork challenges as special stubbornness students may have. PCK helps to identify alternative ways in which the content can be administered to the learner if the normal way fails. Teachers can have a raft of options that could substitute the first options (Murayama, 2016). For example, suppose students are timid about doing prompts given as homework. In that case, a teacher can decide to be allocating time during classwork to know how each student is receptive to the ideas taught in class.
PCK is a helpful tool that teachers can utilize while delivering educational services to students under special conditions. Through PCK, teachers better their analysis of what the groups need, what responsive behaviors are expected to change with time and the alternative strategies for teaching when challenges prevail. It is recommendable that special education applies these ideas because unprivileged learners require critical handling of their natural response to studies. With PCK in place, teachers will develop their experience hence improving learning in special education institutions.
Reference
Murayama, T. (2016). Pedagogical content knowledge in special needs education: A case study of an art project with the multiple/severe handicapped. Universal Journal of Educational Research, 4(6), 1282-1287. Web.