Chapter 5: Teaching Well: Science Teachers’ Investigation and Use of Student Sociocultural Background

What does it mean to be a “good” teacher? This question has great relevance for teacher preparation, professional development, and the perception of teachers that exists in our society today. Efforts to characterize “good teaching” by educational researchers have resulted in a category of teacher knowledge known as pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). PCK defines those skills and strategies used by teachers in their instruction within a particular content area. This study seeks to further elaborate on the general PCK model within the content area of science. Specifically, this chapter begins to describe an additional component of PCK specifically focusing on teachers’ knowledge of student sociocultural background and the use of such knowledge to inform more inclusive teaching.