The pedagogical content knowledge of two novice Chinese early childhood EFL teachers

Abstract

Researchers in the field of teacher knowledge have been attempting to delineate pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) in different subjects and different levels of education. To date, there is a need to develop a nuanced understanding on the PCK of Early Childhood Education (ECE) teachers who teach English as a foreign language (EFL). This study used a qualitative method, stimulated recall classroom observation, to investigate the categories and subcategories of PCK of Chinese EFL teachers from Chinese/English bilingual kindergartens in China. Two novice EFL teachers with less than 2 years of post-qualification teaching experience participated in this study. The data revealed three categories of PCK of ECE EFL teachers in the Chinese context: knowledge of curriculum, knowledge of learners, and knowledge of teaching strategies and multiple representations. Influenced by knowledge of curriculum, and knowledge of teaching strategies and multiple representations, the teachers had commonalities in classroom practice which were the product-oriented pedagogy and the textbook-led syllabus in the Chinese context. The study has several implications for research and practice for ECE EFL teacher education, especially for those practicing in the Chinese context.