Education Reform and Subject Matter Knowledge

This article raises the question of what K-12 teachers need to know to teach mathematics and science well. It begins by examining reform proposals for K-12 science and mathematics teaching with an eye toward defining what good teaching practice consists of. It then examines a wide range of literature to delineate the varieties of knowledge that have been associated with this kind of teaching. While the focus is on subject matter knowledge, the article addressed the character of that knowledge rather than the content of that knowledge. Types of knowledge identified in the literature include conceptual understanding of the subject, pedagogical content knowledge, beliefs about the nature of work in science and mathematics, attitudes toward these subjects, and actual teaching practices with students. The literature is incomplete with respect to which of these is relatively more or relatively less important. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 35: 249-263, 1998. Although the United States does not have a national curriculum, many organizations are working together to achieve an agreed-upon set of goals for science and mathematics teaching and learning. Contemporary education leaders in general, and science and mathematics leaders in particular, have distinct ideas about the best directions for K-12 science and mathematics education, and distinct ideas about teachers and teacher education that follow from these goals. This article examines these proposals and outlines the kinds of subject matter knowledge that teachers need to learn during their higher education in science and mathematics. For the analysis that follows, I am less interested in science and mathematics curriculum proposals than in science and mathematics teaching proposals, for embedded in these proposals are indications of what future science and mathematics teachers should be learning from their college-level science and mathematics courses. In this article, I first review the national standards to determine what they define as good science and mathematics teaching, and then review the associated literature to derive some ideas about what good science and mathematics teachers would need to know or think to teach in the ways reformers demand. Good Science and Mathematics Teaching as Defined by National Standards The education field is subject to many fads, and what counts as a good idea varies over time and across locations. At present, most people are persuaded that the key to educational imContract grant sponsor: National Science Foundation © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. CCC 0022-4308/98/030249-15