KNOWLEDGE ACQUIREMENT AND SKILL EMPOWERMENT – A CHALLENGE FOR TEACHERS
Introduction
The process of ‘Teaching’ is expected to
create the students with all skills and capacities that will enable every
individual to endure and succeed in the knowledge of the world today. A big
question arises in every one’s mind especially teachers regarding “knowledge”
or “skill”. Here content knowledge is placed as a core role on the distinction
between “knowledge” and “skill”. It is the challenge for the teachers to
emphasize the teaching of knowledge or the teaching of skills. Some educators
argue that it’s not possible to teach academic and intellectual skills (e.g.,
reading, writing, critical thinking, problem solving, researching) separate
from content knowledge and conceptual understanding, given that students can’t
learn to write well. In our educational system content knowledge and skills are
the two sides of the same coin. So it’s impossible to learn skills without
content or learn content without skills.
Content Knowledge
The
concept of knowledge refers to familiarity with factual information and
theoretical concepts. Knowledge can be transferred from one person to another
or it can be self acquired through observation and study. It is essential for teachers to have a
strong grasp of the material they are teaching. Elementary school teachers must
have very good content knowledge in basic numeracy, literacy, social studies
and science. High school teachers, who usually specialize in only one or two
subject areas, must have a thorough knowledge and understanding of their area
of speciality. Teachers also need to know how children learn. They need to know
the expectations in development for children of different ages. They also need
to know a variety of teaching strategies and disciplinary techniques. Teacher content knowledge influences how teachers engage students with
the subject matter, how teachers evaluate and use instructional materials and
it is related to what students learn. This will help the students fully grasp
the more difficult topics so they are better prepared to move forward.
Shulman defined
pedagogical content knowledge as, “teachers’ interpretations and
transformations of subject-matter, knowledge in the context of facilitating
student learning”.
•
Key
elements of pedagogical content knowledge:
According to An, Kulm,
and Wu (2004) pedagogical content knowledge has three components: 1. Knowledge
of Content, 2. Knowledge of Curriculum and 3. Knowledge of Teaching. Shulman
also proposed several key elements of pedagogical content knowledge. They are,
(1) knowledge of representations of
subject matter (content knowledge);
(2) understanding of students’
conceptions of the subject
(3) teaching strategies
(4) curriculum knowledge;
(5) knowledge of educational contexts;
and
(6) knowledge of the purposes of
education (Shulman, 1987).
Skills
Skills,
however, refer to the ability to apply knowledge to specific situations. Skills
are developed through practice, through a combination of sensory input and
output. As an example, social skills are developed through interaction with
people by observing, listening, and speaking with them. Trial and error is
probably the best way to achieve skills mastery. To make it simple, knowledge
is theoretical and skills are practical.
Teachers need a variety of skills to become proficient in their careers.
They need excellent communication skills and teaching skills, so that they can
explain effectively. They also need superior interpersonal skills, such as
patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations. Collaborative
skills enable them to work productively with their colleagues. Creativity and
presentation skills are important when planning lessons to motivate students
and hold their interest. As schools become more technologically advanced,
teachers also need basic technological skills for audio-visual presentations
and for reporting and taking attendance electronically.
Challenges
Teachers’
role is more important to prepare individuals to meet a desired performance,
students don’t need more lectures rather they need more practice. The
production of more presentations and more page turners will only make people
more knowledgeable; it will not provide them with skills to do their job better.
According to the present techno-world the teachers should enrich their
knowledge and they transform the knowledge skillfully.
Teaching
is getting more and more complex and challenge these days. The students are getting
more content knowledge from various sources. Teacher should find out alternate
way to overcome these problems like Learn New Technologies, Project-Based Learning,
Learner-Centered Classroom and Personalized Instructions etc., far and most
important one is Keep Learning that will help a teacher to tackle the
challenges.
The
six components of great teaching
Skills and knowledge
can improve student learning outcome. Good quality teaching will likely involve
a combination of pedagogical content knowledge and skill knowledge of the
teacher; the very best teachers are those that demonstrate these two features.
- Content knowledge (Pedagogical)
The most effective
teachers have deep knowledge of the subjects they teach, and when teachers’
knowledge falls below a certain level it is a significant impediment to
students’ learning. As well as a strong understanding of the material being
taught, teachers must also understand the ways students think about the
content, be able to evaluate the thinking behind students’ own methods, and
identify students’ common misconceptions.
- Quality of instruction
It includes elements
such as effective questioning and use of assessment by teachers. Specific
practices, like reviewing previous learning, providing model responses for
students, giving adequate time for practice to embed skills and progressively
introducing new learning (scaffolding) are also elements of high quality
instruction.
3. Classroom climate
It covers quality of
interactions between teachers and students, and teacher expectations: the need
to create a classroom that is constantly demanding more, but still recognising
students’ self-worth. It also involves attributing student success to effort
rather than the ability and valuing resilience to failure.
4. Classroom management
A teacher’s ability to
make efficient use of lesson time, to coordinate classroom resources and space,
and to manage students’ behaviour with clear rules that are consistently
enforced, are all relevant to maximising the learning that can take place.
These environmental factors are necessary for good learning rather than its
direct components.
5. Teachers’ belief
Every teacher adopt
particular practices, the purposes they aim to achieve, and their theories
about what learning is and how it happens and their conceptual models of the
nature and role of teaching in the learning process all seem to be important.
6. Professional behaviours
It includes behaviours exhibited by teachers
such as reflecting on and developing professional practice, participation in
professional development, supporting colleagues, and liaising and communicating
with parents.
How to develop content knowledge and skills knowledge
Ø Pedagogical
content knowledge is deeply rooted in a teacher’s everyday work. However, it is
not opposite to theoretical knowledge. It encompasses both theory learned
during teacher preparation as well as experiences gained from ongoing schooling
activities.
Ø The
development of pedagogical content knowledge is influenced by factors related
to the teacher’s personal background and by the context in which he or she
works.
Ø Pedagogical
content knowledge is deeply rooted in the experiences and assets of students,
their families and communities.
Ø Teaching
becomes more effective when teachers use skills to access, process and express
their knowledge.
Ø Teachers
develop skill knowledge among students by assessing one another needs planning,
group work, creativity, enquiry, evaluation and self-confidence.
Ø Teachers’
skill knowledge provides classroom environments where independence, thinking
skills, collaboration and active learning are developed at the same time as
knowledge is acquired.
Conclusion
Therefore teachers ought to improve the
quality of teaching and learning by updating pedagogical content knowledge and
skill knowledge, thereby resisting some old traditions in professional
learning. Instead, one should acknowledge and expand the insights of experts
who develop competence in subject matter teaching. Teachers should additionally
commit to high quality professional development targeted to develop this
expertise. When we do this, we support the growth of the teacher as a person
and a professional who can expertly lead a student to academic success.
Concurrently, we contribute to the realization of the goals and priorities of
the classroom and the school system as a whole.
