Subject knowledge and pedagogic knowledge: ingredients for good teaching? An English perspective

The term „pedagogy‟ has become a more commonly used word in English educational circles, but it is an under-used and partially misunderstood concept. It is the aim of this article to explore some of the factors that lead to effective classroom teaching. The medieval view of teaching was one where only subject knowledge was necessary, but the work of social constructivists has led to a more student-centred approach to teaching that depends largely on learners‟ activities and within which the pedagogical skills of the teacher can actively promote better learning. One conceptualisation of teachers‟ knowledge is that teachers‟ knowledge is predominantly a „craft knowledge‟ which is largely idiosyncratic and nontheoretical. Other conceptualisations suggest that teachers need a deep understanding of several different knowledge bases to develop sophisticated professional expertise. One pertinent issue is one of how teachers transform content expertise into forms that are pedagogically powerful and yet adaptive to the variety of student abilities and backgrounds. Another significant issue is one of reflection. The reflective process includes reviewing, reconstructing, re-enacting and critically analysing one‟s own teaching abilities and then grouping these reflected explanations into evidence of changes that need to be made to become a better teacher. In summary, this article examines the importance of subject knowledge and its relationship to pedagogical knowledge. It explores teachers‟ tacit knowledge and teachers‟ expertise in transforming content knowledge into a form that is accessible to pupils.