Possessing content knowledge, especially in math and science,
has a small but positive effect on teaching effectiveness.
Research shows that content knowledge has a small association with teaching
effectiveness, on average, often depending on students’ age or grade level.12 The
benefits of content knowledge may lag one year as teachers adjust to their work in
the first year.13 Because researchers typically use indirect measures that are associated
with content mastery such as the number of courses taken as an undergraduate, the
true nature of the relationship between content knowledge and teaching effectiveness
is less clear. Effects of content knowledge are also clearer in math and science than
in other content areas.14 Some researchers also suggest the increasing importance of
analyzing pedagogical knowledge, or the knowledge of how to teach a subject with
depth, rather than only subject-matter mastery.15
However, more research is needed to determine the impact of
pedagogy in predicting teaching effectiveness.
Similar to content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge is difficult to measure without
indirect measures such as licensure test scores.16 Few studies to date have identified
definitive effects associated with pedagogical knowledge. Further, they generally
have not differentiated which pedagogical skills are most important or the best ways
to develop them.17 Ultimately, much more research is needed in this area to determine how much and under what conditions pedagogical instruction in preparation
programs contributes to teacher effectiveness.18
The quality of field experiences could improve effectiveness of
early-career teaching. Additionally, high-quality
mentoring can enhance student teaching experiences.
Many researchers suggest length of field experience may not be as important as the
quality of the experience.19 In one study, clinical experiences that incorporated a capstone project, oversight from the preparation program, and opportunities to engage
in the practices of teaching throughout the preparation experience were associated
with more successful first-year teachers, on average, according to student test gains.20
Some researchers have also suggested that highly effective, actively engaged mentors can improve student teaching experiences.21 Furthermore, working in schools that
are similar to where teacher candidates plan to teach later is associated with greater
teaching effectiveness.22
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