Evaluating pedagogical content knowledge of energy of prospective teachers

A Formative Intervention Module on Energy (FIME) was implemented for two different groups of 250 prospective primary teachers over two years. FIME included a preliminary subject centered part (CK) and an innovative proposal on energy for primary school, based on simple qualitative exploration and inquiry strategy by means of tutorials. From the first application of the FIME emerged a progression in CK, but no evident gain was obtained in pedagogical competencies of the prospective teachers. In the second year a part of the FIME was restructured to include a Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) laboratory involving prospective teachers in a personal reection and a group discussion of the main conceptual knots and learning problems documented in the literature on energy. A post questionnaire combining CK and PCK was carried out. Data emerging from the answers to the questionnaire are correlated with those obtained from the tutorial worksheets completed during the PCK lab, the portfolios of the prospective teachers and the discussions in large groups on the educational path. Results evidenced a relevant and generalized increase in the CK, as well PCK.