Exploring the Development of Teachers’ Personal Pedagogical Content Knowledge about Climate Change Education during a Continuing Teacher Professional Development Course

Abstract

Climate Change Education (CCE) is widely recognised as one of the effective strategies for mitigating climate change challenges and risks. However, lack of the necessary knowledge and pedagogical skills among the majority of teachers in South Africa hinders its successful implementation at classroom level. To address this issue, we designed and implemented a short course in CCE for a group of high school Geography and Natural Sciences (NS) teachers in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan district in the Eastern Cape. This article reports on a case study that we conducted to explore the development of the teachers’ personal pedagogical content knowledge (pPCK) about CCE during the course. We also sought to gain insight into the factors that could have supported (amplifiers) or hindered (filters) the development of the teachers’ pPCK about CCE during the course. The study was interpretivist in its approach and used the refined consensus model (RCM) of PCK as its conceptual and analytical framework. The study sample consisted of three purposefully selected NS teachers. Data on the teachers’ pPCK about CCE before and after the course were generated from pre-course and post-course interviews and CCE knowledge tests, as well as from document analysis of the teachers’ portfolios of evidence and course evaluation reports. The results from the study revealed that the course improved the selected teachers’ pPCK about CCE in the components of CC content knowledge, and CCE teaching and assessment strategies. Teacher personal factors such as motivation and interest to improve CCE practice were identified as possible teacherrelated amplifiers during the course. Possible exo-teacher amplifiers included course design factors (for example the strong focus on teachers’ CCE needs, and relevance to the Grade 7-9 NS curriculum), and the strategies that were used to deliver the course (for example the inclusion of a component of CCE-linked practical activities, and the provision of numerous opportunities for collaborative learning and teacher reflections). The teachers’ pre-course knowledge in CCE emerged as a possible filter for two of the teachers. Based on the study’s findings, the article identifies several aspects that need to be taken into consideration when designing and implementing similar courses in CCE for in-service teachers.

Keywords: climate change education, teacher continuous professional development, personal pedagogical content knowledge, refined consensus model, filters, amplifiers