Performance assessment to investigate the domain specificity of instructional skills among pre-service and in-service teachers of mathematics and economics

Jeschke C, Kuhn C, Lindmeier A, Zlatkin-Troitschanskaia O, Saas H, Heinze A (2019)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2019

Journal

British Journal of Educational Psychology Wiley-Blackwell

Book Volume: 89

Pages Range: 538-550

Journal Issue: 3

DOI: 10.1111/bjep.12277

Abstract

Background: Key elements of instructional quality include the teacher's ability to immediately react in domain-specific classroom situations. Such skills – defined as action-related skills – can only be validly assessed using authentic representations of real-life teaching practice. However, research has not yet explained how teachers apply domain-specific knowledge for teaching and to what extent action-related skills are transferable from one domain to another. Aims: Our study aims to examine (1) the relationship between action-related skills, content knowledge, and pedagogical content knowledge, and (2) the domain specificity of action-related skills of (prospective) teachers in the two domains of mathematics and economics. Sample(s): We examined German pre-service and in-service teachers of mathematics (N = 239) and economics (N = 321), including n = 96 (prospective) teachers who teach both subjects. Methods: Action-related skills in mathematics and economics were measured using video-based performance assessments. Content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge were assessed using established paper–pencil tests. Correlation analyses, linear regressions, and a path model were applied. Results: In mathematics and economics, we find a similar pattern of moderate correlations between action-related skills, content knowledge, and pedagogical content knowledge. Moreover, a significant correlation between action-related skills in mathematics and economics can be explained almost entirely by underlying relations between content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge in both domains. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that action-related skills empirically differ from domain-specific knowledge and should be considered as domain-specific constructs. This indicates that teacher education should not only focus on domain-specific teacher knowledge, but may also provide learning opportunities for action-related skills in each domain.

Authors with CRIS profile

Anke Lindmeier

Involved external institutions

IPN - Leibniz-Institut für die Pädagogik der Naturwissenschaften und Mathematik DE Germany (DE) Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz (JGU) DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Jeschke, C., Kuhn, C., Lindmeier, A., Zlatkin-Troitschanskaia, O., Saas, H., & Heinze, A. (2019). Performance assessment to investigate the domain specificity of instructional skills among pre-service and in-service teachers of mathematics and economics. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 89(3), 538-550. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjep.12277

MLA:

Jeschke, Colin, et al. "Performance assessment to investigate the domain specificity of instructional skills among pre-service and in-service teachers of mathematics and economics." British Journal of Educational Psychology 89.3 (2019): 538-550.

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