Arab Educational Information Network

This study aimed to investigate the primary school teachers' pedagogical content knowledge of Ratio and Proportion for Sixth and Seventh grades, based on the theoretical framework, the model of PCK developed by Hashweh (Hashweh, 2005). This study sought to answer the main research question: "What is the pedagogical content knowledge of Ratio and Proportion in sixth and seventh grades? The participants of this qualitative study were eight seventh grade mathematics teachers who work in private schools in Ramallah and AlBireh governorates. The eight teachers were chosen to answer the questionnaire related to the pedagogical content knowledge. After arbitrating the questionnaire; the teacher with the highest grades was chosen and considered as a case study. The chosen teacher holds a BA degree in Architectural Engineering and has been enrolled into the education sector for the past eleven years. She is a mathematics teacher, who has been teaching Math for sixth grade for eleven years and seventh grade for three years. The data was collected using three instruments; the questionnaire, classroom observations and interviews. The questionnaire’s purpose was to identify the pedagogical content of ratios and proportions. The classroom observations and the two interviews aimed to recognize the methods and strategies that are used in teaching ratios and proportions. Qualitative data was analyzed in order to answer the research question. The results showed that both the content knowledge and the goals knowledge of the participant did not exceed the textbook’s content. Despite the fact that she showed a good knowledge of the characteristics of the students in terms of individual differences, she was unable to discover the alternative or misconceptions. Notwithstanding her knowledge of the various teaching resources, the teacher did not try to employ that knowledge in her classes. Her teaching style and evaluation strategies were most often traditional, with limited assignments of homework. Her curriculum knowledge was good both vertically and horizontally but without exceeding the book examples. As to her resource knowledge, it was limited and did not cope with new technologies. Finally, she ignored preparation for her class and depended heavily on her teaching experience which negatively affected class management. The study recommends that teachers have to reflect on what they do to better deal with students and deliver the needed material in a way that reflects the new teaching methods. In addition, the study suggests attending training workshops for improvement and development. (Author’s abstract)