Preservice Teachers’ PCK Development during Peer Coaching

Abstract

Peer coaching has recently been incorporated into teacher training programs in order to help novice teachers learn theory and incorporate teaching skills, models, and methods into the classroom. Although recent research on peer coaching has identified an increase in the reflective practice of preservice teachers (PTs), few researchers have examined how teacher knowledge develops in the coaching experience. The purpose of this study was to describe the kinds of knowledge exhibited by 8 PTs during coaching activities, and how the roles of teacher and coach contributed to knowledge development during an elementary physical education field-based methods course. Data collection included observations, postlesson conferences, and daily written reports. Results revealed that pedagogical content knowing (PCKg) developed differently in the roles of teacher and coach. Growth in the teaching role resulted initially from interaction of two knowledge components (i.e., students and pedagogy), and later from interaction of three or more components (subject matter, environmental context, and general pedagogical knowledge).