Teaching Evidence-Based Subject Didactics in Primary Teacher Education

Esta Sikkal; Krista Uibu; Irja Vaas; Tiia Krass

Vol. 13 No. 5 (2021) IEJEE

Teaching Evidence-Based Subject Didactics in Primary Teacher Education

Esta Sikkal
Krista Uibu
Irja Vaas
Tiia Krass

Published July 14, 2021 | Pages: 639-649 | Views: 424

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Abstract

For contemporary teaching, teachers need a good knowledge of pedagogy, a content knowledge, subject methodology and assessment. Although subject didactics has become an independent research area with interdisciplinary dimensions, only very few studies focus on the teaching of subject didactics. With the aim of developing a theoretical model for systematic treatment of subject didactics, a scoping literature review was implemented for analysing scientific literature. Twenty-five articles were chosen from different databases in the field of study. Data analyses revealed three domains of subject didactics: content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge and knowledge of subject-specific assessment. These domains included various components which were used for developing a theoretical model for teaching subject didactics within the framework of primary teacher education. The results indicate how to organise the courses of subject didactics for primary teachers at universities. Firstly, teachers’ content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge should be treated in an integrated way. Secondly, integrating pedagogical knowledge with subject didactics enables the shaping of teacher education of students to understand the teaching profession at an early stage. Thirdly, studying subject didactics on the theoretical and empirical level is the driving force for developing syllabi in primary teacher education.

<p>For contemporary teaching, teachers need a good knowledge of pedagogy, a content knowledge, subject methodology and assessment. Although subject didactics has become an independent research area with interdisciplinary dimensions, only very few studies focus on the teaching of subject didactics. With the aim of developing a theoretical model for systematic treatment of subject didactics, a scoping literature review was implemented for analysing scientific literature. Twenty-five articles were chosen from different databases in the field of study. Data analyses revealed three domains of subject didactics: content knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge and knowledge of subject-specific assessment. These domains included various components which were used for developing a theoretical model for teaching subject didactics within the framework of primary teacher education. The results indicate how to organise the courses of subject didactics for primary teachers at universities. Firstly, teachers’ content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge should be treated in an integrated way. Secondly, integrating pedagogical knowledge with subject didactics enables the shaping of teacher education of students to understand the teaching profession at an early stage. Thirdly, studying subject didactics on the theoretical and empirical level is the driving force for developing syllabi in primary teacher education.</p>

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Keywords

primary teacher education, subject didactics model, evidence-based teaching, scoping literature review

Affiliations

Esta Sikkal

University of Tartu

Krista Uibu

University of Tartu

Irja Vaas

University of Tartu

Tiia Krass

University of Tartu

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How to Cite

Sikkal, E., Uibu, K., Vaas, I., & Krass, T. (2021). Teaching Evidence-Based Subject Didactics in Primary Teacher Education. International Electronic Journal of Elementary Education, 13(5), 639–649. Retrieved from https://iejee.com/index.php/IEJEE/article/view/1401

Author Biography

Esta Sikkal

Esta Sikkal is a teacher of Didactic and Teaching Practice in Primary Education in the Institute of Education, at the University of Tartu (Estonia). Her research themes is Didactic and Multilingualism. She teaches the following courses at the University of Tartu: Teaching Practice in several programs, Didactic in Teaching Practice in Primary Education, Non-native Student in Kindergarten. She has participated in the international research projects.

Irja Vaas

Irja Vaas is a lecturer in Handicraft and Home Economics Didactics in the Institute of Education, at the University of Tartu (Estonia). The field of her research is connected with teachers’ professional development, early childhood education and the teaching of creative subjects in basic school. She has participated in several international research projects which aim is to analyse teachers’ teaching practices.

Tiia Krass

Tiia Krass is a teacher of English for primary education in the Institute of Education, at the University of Tartu (Estonia). Her field of research is English language, children’s literature and teaching methodology in primary education. She has been involved with supervising students’ school practices, focusing on instructional strategies. She has participated in some international research projects which aim to analyse different countries’ methodological approaches and student teachers’ teaching practices.