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The development of college English teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge (PCK): from General English to English for Academic Purposes

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Abstract

College English teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) is subject to change in the transition from the teaching of General English (GE) to that of English for Academic Purposes (EAP). Underpinned by Grossman’s four-dimensional model of PCK, this study aims to investigate the trajectory of PCK development among college English teachers through the transition from GE to EAP in the Chinese context. Adopting a qualitative case study approach, multiple sources of data about three teachers were collected through semi-structured interviews, class observations, and teaching materials. Results show that teachers’ conceptions of the purpose of teaching EAP, as opposed to GE, are fundamental to PCK development. The development of different PCK components was mainly attributed to a variety of informal learning activities, which are insufficient for well-balanced development. Additionally, the development of PCK was hindered by teachers’ limited content knowledge. The findings have significant implications for effective college English teacher development in the transition from GE teaching to EAP teaching.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the interviewees who made this publication possible.

Funding

This work was supported by the National Social Science Fund of China under Grant No. 18BYY095.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Foreign Languages and Literature, Shandong University, Jinan, 250100, Shandong, China

    Jiying Han, Yanlin Zhao, Menghan Liu & Jing Zhang

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  1. Jiying Han
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  2. Yanlin Zhao
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  3. Menghan Liu
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  4. Jing Zhang
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Correspondence to Jing Zhang.

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Appendix: Interview Protocol

Appendix: Interview Protocol

  1. 1.

    Conceptions of purposes for teaching English

    1. (1)

      What kind of ability and knowledge do you want your students to acquire when teaching EAP (GE)?

    2. (2)

      What’s your attitude toward teaching freshmen EAP (GE)?

  1. 2.

    Curricular knowledge

    1. (1)

      What kind of teaching materials do you usually use?

    2. (2)

      Is EAP (GE) related to students’ professional learning? If so, what’s the relationship?

  1. 3.

    Knowledge about instructional strategies

    1. (1)

      What teaching strategies do you usually use in EAP (GE) teaching?

    2. (2)

      What is your role in classroom teaching?

  1. 4.

    Knowledge of students’ understanding

    1. (1)

      What kind of difficulties do students usually come across when they learn EAP (GE)?

    2. (2)

      What’s their attitude toward learning EAP (GE)?

Note: The interview protocol is used to investigate the PCK of GE teaching and EAP teaching respectively.

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Han, J., Zhao, Y., Liu, M. et al. The development of college English teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge (PCK): from General English to English for Academic Purposes. Asia Pacific Educ. Rev. 22, 609–621 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-021-09689-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12564-021-09689-7

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