Pedagogical content knowledge and content knowledge of secondary mathematics teachers

Drawing on the work of L. S. Shulman (1986), the authors present a conceptualization of the pedagogical content knowledge and content knowledge of secondary-level mathematics teachers. They describe the theory-based construction of tests to assess these knowledge categories and the implementation of these tests in a sample of German mathematics teachers (N = 198). Analyses investigate whether pedagogical content knowledge and content knowledge can be distinguished empirically, and whether the mean level of knowledge and the degree of connectedness between the two knowledge categories depends on mathematical expertise. Findings show that mathematics teachers with an in-depth mathematical training (i.e., teachers qualified to teach at the academic-track Gymnasium) outscore teachers from other school types on both knowledge categories and exhibit a higher degree of cognitive connectedness between the two knowledge categories.