Changes in the Content Development and Adaptive Competence of Teachers Following a Specialized Content Knowledge Workshop

Purpose: This study examined the effects of a specialized content knowledge workshop on developing teachers' content development and adaptive competence in teaching badminton. Method: A quasi-experimental design was employed with three middle school physical education teachers who taught five or six badminton lessons before and after the content knowledge workshop (n = 66). Descriptive statistics and univariate analysis of variance were conducted to analyze the data of content development index scores and intratask adaptations. Frequency data across lessons by teachers and treatment conditions were employed for content development patterns. Results: There were statistically significant effects of the workshop in developing the teachers' use of content development (p = .049) and adaptations (p = .000), but their effects varied by teacher. While the most used content development pattern by the teachers in comparison classes was an informing applying pattern, the teachers used a variety of content development patterns that included more task progressions in the experimental classes. Conclusion: It can be concluded that teachers' instructional tasks and task adaptations could be improved through a well-designed professional development program. The findings can guide the direction of teacher education and professional development in ways to enhance teachers' content development and adaptations.

Automated summary

The study found that a specialized content knowledge workshop has significant effects on the content development and adaptive competence of middle school physical education teachers in teaching badminton, but the effects vary by teacher. Teachers in the experimental classes used more task progressions in their content development patterns compared to teachers in the comparison classes.