- Title: They keep on learning: Teachers’ pedagogical/psychological knowledge increases over 15 years in the teaching profession
- Authors: Nikolaus Bönke, Talha Sajjad, Thamar Voss
- Access the original paper here
- Watch a video overview:
Paper summary
This study investigates the long-term growth of pedagogical and psychological knowledge (PPK) among secondary mathematics teachers over a fifteen-year period. Researchers utilised a longitudinal design to track educators from their initial induction phase through over a decade of professional experience. The findings reveal a significant increase in teacher knowledge, with over half of the development occurring during the intensive first year of practical training. While individual progress varied, reflective practice was identified as a critical driver for continuous intellectual advancement throughout a teacher’s career. Conversely, while higher general cognitive ability correlated with greater initial knowledge, it was associated with a slower rate of subsequent growth. Ultimately, the results emphasise that professional expertise is not static but evolves through intentional reflection on classroom experiences.
If teachers remember one thing from this study, it should be…
If teachers remember one thing from this study, it should be that pedagogical knowledge continues to grow long after formal training ends. However, this growth is not automatic; actively reflecting on everyday teaching experiences is the crucial driver for continually building professional expertise throughout your career.
***Paper Deep Dive***
What are the key technical terms used in the paper?
- PPK (Pedagogical/Psychological Knowledge): Generic knowledge to optimise teaching-learning situations across subjects.
- CK (Content Knowledge): Understanding of the subject matter.
- PCK (Pedagogical Content Knowledge): Expertise in facilitating subject-specific learning.
- GCA (General Cognitive Ability): Cognitive prerequisites aiding successful knowledge acquisition.
What are the characteristics of the participants in the study?
The participants were German secondary school mathematics teachers. The study began in 2007 with 746 teacher candidates (average age 28, 65% female). Over 15 years, the sample decreased to 116 experienced in-service teachers at the final measurement (average age 43, 64% female).
What does this paper add to the current field of research?
This paper addresses a significant research gap by tracking the long-term development of teachers’ pedagogical/psychological knowledge (PPK) over a 15-year period. Prior studies primarily followed PPK only through the first three years of teaching. It also identifies reflection as a key predictor driving this growth.
What are the key implications for teachers in the classroom?
The key implications for teachers in the classroom from this study are centred around how pedagogical/psychological knowledge (PPK) develops and impacts teaching over time:
- Professional growth is a career-long process: Teachers should recognise that building pedagogical expertise does not end after university training or the induction phase. PPK continues to increase significantly even 15 years into the profession through deliberate practice in day-to-day activities.
- Systematic reflection is essential: Growth in PPK is not an automatic byproduct of simply gaining more years of experience. To continually improve, teachers must actively and systematically reflect on their classroom experiences—such as evaluating what went well in a lesson and adapting instructional strategies for the next one.
- Initial knowledge gaps can be overcome: Teachers who enter the profession with below-average pedagogical knowledge should not be discouraged. The study found a compensatory effect where teachers with greater potential for improvement exhibited steeper increases in knowledge, particularly during their induction phase.
- Better outcomes for both students and teachers: Actively developing PPK has direct classroom benefits. Higher PPK is linked to higher instructional quality, better classroom management, and improved student achievement. Furthermore, it serves as a crucial resource for teachers to cope with professional demands, which is associated with fewer symptoms of burnout.
In short, teachers are encouraged to treat their daily classroom experiences as continuous learning opportunities and to dedicate time to deliberate, structured reflection to maximise their professional growth.
Why might teachers exercise caution before applying these findings in their classroom?
The study examined only German secondary mathematics teachers, making it inadvisable to generalise the findings to other countries. Furthermore, the development of pedagogical knowledge is highly individualised and depends on unmeasured personal and school factors, so these results cannot serve as a universal template for all teachers.
What is a single quote that summarises the key findings from the paper?
The study shows a significant increase in PPK over the long period of 15 years, with a particularly pronounced increase during the induction phase
