The Integration of Subject Matter Knowledge in Student Teachers' Classroom Practice

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Recent policy on the training of primary school teachers has brought into focus the question of teachers' subject matter knowledge and its value and influence on classroom practice. With a sample of 8 students, this study collected data on four aspects of their practice with the aim of exploring the processes by which subject matter knowledge might inform professional action. Data included the beliefs and predispositions of student teachers about teaching, lesson planning protocols, stimulated recall protocols, and students' assessments of pupils. A qualitative analysis of this data suggests that subject matter enters student teachers' thinking about practice mostly via their classroom observations and their discussions with experienced teachers. Different schools and supervising teachers offered different opportunities for students to engage in such activities and afforded varying classroom conditions in which their subject matter knowledge could be related to pupil experiences and difficulties. Such findings, if typical, raise issues about how we conceptualize and research teachers' professional knowledge and also have practical implications for the organization of school experiences in teacher training. (Author)

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