Subject knowledge has for many years been a neglected aspect of teacher development. Thinking back to when I was an NQT, the main focus of CPD was on pedagogy, classroom practice and the pastoral aspects of the job - subject knowledge sessions were sporadic and came occasionally through an external CPD course.
I suppose the logic behind this is based upon a presumption that a teacher already possesses the subject knowledge they require to teach, after all they should have a degree and a passion in that subject (why else would you want to teach it?) There is also a presumption that any gaps in teacher knowledge would be easily filled on the job. So long as we stayed a page ahead in the textbook, after a few years a teacher's knowledge would be secured.
However, this approach is increasingly up for debate. To understand the debate it is useful to understand the three types of knowledge teachers require to be effective.
However, this approach is increasingly up for debate. To understand the debate it is useful to understand the three types of knowledge teachers require to be effective.
- Subject knowledge: Knowledge of a domain. e.g. Maths or Art etc.
- Pedagogical knowledge: Knowledge of how to teach e.g. adaptive learning, cognitive science, metacognition, SEND, behaviour management etc.
- Pedagogical content knowledge: Knowledge of how to teach a given subject. e.g. how to run a tennis skills session in PE or a short skit in drama.
The best teachers are competent in all three areas. However, currently subject knowledge is neglected in our CPD models. The current trend says this needs to change.
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| Currently CPD in most schools does not take into account subject knowledge development. |
With the changes in GCSE specification to be 'knowledge rich' there has been a scramble for teachers to fill the gaps. However, although many may have complained about this upscaling in knowledge, it is important to understand why this change has happened.
Think about money. There is a well known principle that if we start off our lives with a large amount of capital then it is easier to create more capital, regardless of how 'talented' we may be. Also if we have very little capital it is incredibly difficult to make any. Thus a gap between rich and poor develops. This is known as the Matthew effect.
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| Donald Trump may not be the most talented person around but with a small starting loan of a million dollars from his Dad he managed to do okay! |
The Matthew effect also applies to knowledge. The more we know about a specific area of knowledge the easier it is to acquire more knowledge in that area. For our pupils, who are novices, acquiring knowledge is crucial in enabling them to accelerate and acquire more knowledge. As such, the knowledge rich curriculum is an attempt to narrow the gap between disadvantaged students and the rest.
This means that teachers need to be secure in the subject knowledge themselves in order to be able to deliver it effectively using sound pedagogical practices. This knowledge also needs to be deep enough to engage students. This is evident in many student surveys that have taken place at Denbigh in which students rate the best teaching in line with the teachers who they perceive to have the best subject knowledge. Furthermore, the students who won scholarships to Berkhamsted Sixth Form College reported that one of the major differences they noted was the subject expertise that their teachers possessed (this could be accounted for due to the transition to sixth form).
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| Research has shown that there is 'Matthew effect' in reading which has led to a word gap between advantaged and disadvantaged students. |
It is evident that some of the most appreciated teachers are the ones who have deep subject knowledge.
As an RE teacher, I can confess that my ability as a teacher only improved with the development of my own subject knowledge. Take for example my own knowledge of Islam. In my NQT year, a decade ago, my knowledge was no deeper than the five pillars. I could make a fun lesson or two and design lots of activities around them but the deeper knowledge behind those five pillars, the links to Islamic beliefs, history and culture and how they relate to personal and spiritual development did not exist.
The best piece of CPD I did was to develop my knowledge of Islam. I sought out books on Islamic history and the Sunni/Shiah split, biographies of the Prophet (pbuh), as well as watching every documentary I could find. It took many years and is still ongoing.
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| Two of the books that helped me to become a better teacher of Islam. |
How do we develop subject knowledge?
Pedagogy matters - CPD in schools aims to help develop it and it should continue to do so. However subject knowledge needs more time. As a CPD lead at Denbigh we are planning to give more time to departments to help develop it in the upcoming 2021-22 academic year. Nevertheless, the best way to do it is to be passionate about our own subjects and seek out books, websites, subject associations and documentaries to develop our knowledge of our subjects (whether it be knowledge of the content we teach, or wider knowledge of that subject).
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| "The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go" Dr Seuss. You can also add to the end of this quote - "and the more you can teach". |
Ian @Denbigh CPD
Further Reading
- Are teachers cursed with knowledge? David Didau A good read about the 'optimum' level of subject knowledge a teacher may require.
- Does good subject knowledge make you a good teacher? Adam Riches - A counter argument that subject knowledge is not a crucial component of effective teaching.
Great article.Very inspiring.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing
Malika
Excellent article, very precise and straight to the point. Keep it up Mr Stonnell!
ReplyDeleteExcellent article, very interesting.
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