Exploring challenges of assessing pre-service science teachers' pedagogical content knowledge (PCK)

The purpose of this paper is to report on the challenges we faced in designing an instrument aimed at measuring pre-service science teachers' topic-specific pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). After the instrument was conceptualised and developed, it was administered to 30 pre-service chemistry teachers. The findings suggest that the instrument can be used as a teaching tool to enhance pre-service science teachers' topic-specific PCK along with some limitations. The discussion focuses on the implications of the aforementioned PCK assessment tool for enhancing pre-service science teachers' topic-specific PCK and the challenges associated with measuring and enhancing pre-service science teachers' PCK. Finally, our discussion focuses on the ways in which science-teacher educators can engage in transforming the concept of PCK and its use for research and professional development.