Teacher Practical Guidance:

Teacher Subject Matter Knowledge

Category: Assessment & Planning

Rank Order

80

Effect Size

0.13

Achievement Gain %

5

How-To Strategies

How-To Resources

Link – Assessment (Boston Public) Teacher Subject Matter Rubric

Link – Paper (MSU) Subject Matter Prep for Teachers

References

Ahn, S., et al (2004). Teachers’ subject matter knowledge as a teacher qualification: A synthesis of quantitative literature. AERA Conference Paper. Link

 

Ball D., et al (2008). Content knowledge for teaching: What makes it special? Journal of Teacher Education,  59(5). Link

 

Ball, D. (2010). What does it take to make a teacher? Kappan online. Link

 

Druva & Anderson. (1983). Science teacher characteristics by teacher behavior and by student outcome: A meta-analysis of research. Journal of Research in Science Teaching.

 

Hotamon, D. (2010). The teaching profession: Knowledge of subject matter, teaching skills and personality traits. Social and behavioral Sciences, 2 Link

 

MAISA (2023), Literacy Essentials: Professional Learning. Link

 

Manning, Garvis, Fleming, & Wong. (2017). The Relationship between Teacher Qualification and the Quality of the Early Childhood Care and Learning Environment. Campbell Collaboration.

 

Shulman, L. (1986). Those who understand: Knowledge growth in teaching. Educational Researcher, 15 (2), 4-14.

Teacher Subject Matter Knowledge

 

DEFINTIONS

Such knowledge can relate to pedagogical, content, or horizon (seeing connections with the content the teacher is teaching) knowledge. Essentially you cannot teach what you do not know.

DATA

  • 4 meta-analysis reviews

  • 119 research studies

  • 10,900 students involved in research

  • 2 Confidence level. Hattie (2023) p. 238

QUOTES

“There is a common agreement on the importance of teachers having solid content knowledge. However, it’s not so easy. Although teachers need to understand thoroughly the material they teach, expertise is often tacit. Being good at something does not carry with it the ability to unpack it for a learner. ” Ball (2008)

“Teachers need extensive knowledge of the field and perspective on its practice, they also need a special kind of knowledge that enables them to expose the subject to learners, to highlight potentially confusing issues, and to pose strategic questions designed to help novices learn. This knowledge involves the bifocal capacity to understand ideas and to see them from the perspectives of others who are first encountering them.” Ball (2010)

“What teachers need to know about the subject matter they teach extends beyond the specific topics of their curriculum.  Teachers must not only be capable of defining for students the accepted truths in a domain. They must also be able to explain why a particular proposition is deemed warranted, why it is worth knowing, and how it relates to other propositions” Shulman (1986) p. 9