Impact of teachers' overcoming experience of threshold concepts in chemistry on pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) development

Abstract

As a follow-up study to identify references for threshold concepts in science, 20 high school chemistry teachers were interviewed. Seven concepts were identified as threshold concepts. The data revealed that teachers overcome the thresholds while they are teaching as well as learning during their school years. This explains that the mastery experience of threshold concepts involve not only the process of creating subject matter knowledge of a learner but also the reflection on or preparation for teaching. Hence, the current study proposes that a strong relationship exists between the mastery experience of threshold concepts and the development of teachers' pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). In this regard, findings from this study will provide valuable information to understand the nature of threshold concepts and suggests the value of mastery experience of threshold concepts in terms of PCK development.