In-service secondary school teachers’ self-reported pedagogical knowledge in science and mathematics instruction

Abstract

Although effective STEM education depends on teachers’ pedagogical knowledge (PK) to enact student-centred dialogic instruction, limited research exists on PK in sub-Saharan African contexts. This mixed-methods study used a sequential explanatory-convergence design to explore Zambian STEM teachers’ self-reported PK in dialogic pedagogy in science and mathematics. Quantitative data were collected using a validated online survey (α = .953) administered to 186 in-service teachers, and semi-structured interviews with 10 teachers. Quantitative findings revealed that teachers reported high PK, with only the qualification pursued significantly predicting teachers’ self-reported PK. Gender, age, highest qualification, teaching experience, and specialisation did not significantly influence reported PK. Qualitative results indicated that teachers demonstrate adequate knowledge to implement effective instruction in STEM lessons but showed limited ability to anticipate learning difficulties and support productive struggle. Overall, results suggest that teachers are theoretically ready to implement dialogic pedagogy in STEM classrooms. Future research may involve classroom observations and performance assessments to assess classroom enactment.