What We Know About Deepening Teachers' Content Knowledge: Engaging Teachers in Analyzing Classroom Instruction

Professional learning opportunities for teachers of mathematics and science have increasingly focused on teachers' content knowledge, including their pedagogical content knowledge. Learning opportunities aimed at deepening teachers' pedagogical content knowledge often include a strategy of examining mathematics/science classroom practice. Advice from experienced practitioners offers guidance about engaging teachers in analyzing classroom instruction as a strategy for deepening their pedagogical content knowledge. Insights provided by a group of expert practitioners with diverse backgrounds and experiences in working with teachers included the following ideas:

• Teachers need to have an understanding of the mathematics/science content prior to analyzing how classroom practice is intended to develop students' understanding.
• Teachers should analyze classroom practice of unknown teachers before analyzing their own practice or that of their colleagues.
• Teachers need to be provided time and support to develop the analytic skills necessary to critically and productively examine instruction.
• The structured examination of instruction should provide a frame for focusing teachers on the ways in which student learning of the targeted mathematics/science concepts is or is not supported.
• The focus of analyzing classroom practice as a means to deepening teachers' pedagogical content knowledge should be on instructional decision points.

Teacher Content Knowledge Matters

Empirical evidence demonstrates that teachers' mathematics/science content knowledge makes a difference in their instructional practice and their students' achievement. Consistent findings across studies include:

• Teachers' mathematics/science content knowledge influences how teachers engage students with the subject matter.
• Teachers' mathematics/science content knowledge influences how teachers evaluate and use instructional materials.
• Teachers' mathematics/science content knowledge is related to what their students learn.

Research on Engaging Teachers in Analyzing Mathematics or Science Classroom Instruction

Studies of four professional development programs that engaged teachers in analyzing mathematics classroom instruction, as one of several strategies, were identified in a search of the published literature. Findings of the studies for all four interventions provided evidence of positive effects on teachers' mathematics content knowledge (Basista & Mathews, 2002; Lin, 2002; Sowder, Philipp, Armstrong, & Schappelle, 1998; Swafford, Jones, & Thornton, 1997; Swafford, Jones, Thornton, & Stump, 1999). Teacher participants in the interventions ranged from grade 1 to grade 10. Across the studies, topics in number and operations, algebra, geometry, and data/probability/statistics were addressed. Although no studies investigated the unique contribution of engaging teachers in analyzing mathematics classroom instruction, consistent positive results across the programs support claims regarding its effectiveness in deepening teachers' mathematics content knowledge.

The literature search surfaced four research studies of professional development programs that engaged teachers in analyzing science classroom instruction. Each intervention included several strategies, and none was designed to measure the unique influence of engaging teachers in analyzing classroom instruction. Still, each one reported evidence that teachers' science content knowledge increased (Alonzo, 2002; Basista & Mathews, 2002; Clermont, Krajcik, & Borko, 1993; Puttick & Rosebery, 1998; Wang, 2001). Teacher participants in the studies ranged from Kindergarten to grade 10. Various earth, life, and physical science topics were represented; two of the studies focused specifically on physical science.