Teacher Education Content Knowledge Study (TECKS)

The aim of TECKS is to use (a) knowledge tests of Common Content Knowledge (CCK) and (b) to use content maps (Lee, Lehwald, & Ward, 2015; Ward, Lehwald & Lee, 2015), to measure the Specialized Content Knowledge (SCK) of students enrolled in physical education teacher education programs.  Our research questions are:
1. What do the freshman scores reveal about CCK and SCK derived from K-12 physical education and extra curricula learning?
2. What do the differences in the freshman and senior scores reveal about CCK and SCK derived from teacher preparation programs?
Answers to the first research question would provide us with an indication of the CCK and SCK acquired from K-12 physical education and from other extra curricula learning (e.g., sports observed, played or coached). Our hypothesis consistent, with the theoretical positions of Ball et al. (2008) and Ward (2009), is that students would score low on SCK. We predict CCK scores will be low to moderate. The second research question provides an indication of the CCK and SCK acquired from teacher education programs. Our hypothesis is that there will be substantively meaningful differences between the freshman and senior scores in CCK but that the SCK gains will be low to moderate.

Studies

Dervent, F., Ward, P., Devrilmez, E., & Ince M. L. (2020). A national analysis of the content knowledge of Turkish physical education teacher education students, Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy.

Tsuda, E. & Ward, P. (2019). A knowledge packet for teaching badminton to upper elementary students. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. 90, 42-49.

Tsuda, E., Ward, P., Li, Y., & Higginson, K. (2019). Content Knowledge Acquisition in Physical Education: Evidence from knowing and performing by majors and nonmajors. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education.38, 221-232.

Ward, P., He, Y., Wang, X., & Li., W.  (2018). Chinese secondary physical education teacher’s depth of specialized content knowledge in soccer. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education. 37, 101-112.

Ward, P., Tsuda, E., Dervent, F., & Devrilmez, E. (2018). Differences in the content knowledge of those taught to teach and those taught to play. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education. 37, 59-68.

Kim, I., Lee, Y. S. Ward, P., & Li, W. (2015). A critical examination of content knowledge courses in physical education teacher education programs. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education. 34, 59-75.

Ward, P., Ayvazo, S., & Lehwald, H. (2014). Using knowledge packets in teacher education to develop pedagogical content knowledge.  Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. 85(6), 38-43, DOI: 10.1080/07303084.2014.926843.

Ward, P., Li, W., Kim, I & Lee Y-S. (2012). Content knowledge courses in physical education programs in South Korea and Ohio.  International Journal of Human Movement Science, 6, 107-120.