Abstract
The goal of this chapter is to provide examples of how the Refined Consensus Model (RCM) of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) in science teacher education research moves from an abstract visualisation to a tool used by researchers and educators alike. The chapter offers a collection of short vignettes from a variety of settings and perspectives, each of which brings the RCM to life, either by illustrating ways the model is being used in science teacher education or by situating studies and PCK instruments within the layers of the model. The first and second vignettes provide a pre-service perspective, yet from distinctly different learning contexts and science teacher educator experiences in Australia and the USA. The third vignette shares insights into the use of the RCM during a teacher professional learning course presented to teachers in Russia, while the fourth and fifth vignettes offer a researcher lens with examples from large-scale science PCK studies conducted in Germany and the USA. Each vignette follows a similar structure and includes these three parts:
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Context: A description of the setting (e.g., pre-service, professional learning, research), participants, and goals of the research or the teacher education programme
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Connections to the model: A description of how the RCM informed(s) the work or the application
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Reflections: A discussion of the implications of the model for the work and/or how the model was received and/or how it may shape future work.
As with any model, the true test of its power lies in its utility. Only by employing the RCM in a host of settings—to situate research questions, plan and conduct studies, develop explanations about findings, design education programmes, explore the mechanisms of PCK development, and reflect on teaching and learning—will we come to understand the benefits and limitations of the model. We look forward to learning from each other as we put this RCM of PCK to the test.
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Carlson, J. et al. (2019). Vignettes Illustrating Practitioners’ and Researchers’ Applications of the Refined Consensus Model of Pedagogical Content Knowledge. In: Hume, A., Cooper, R., Borowski, A. (eds) Repositioning Pedagogical Content Knowledge in Teachers’ Knowledge for Teaching Science. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-5898-2_3
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