The Pedagogical Content Knowledge of a Multiliteracies Survey Instrument for Preservice Teachers That Meets the Needs of Diverse Populations

Abstract

The diversity in classrooms has increased worldwide. An equitable learning experience is the desired outcome. When planning instruction teachers must attend to the varied needs of their diverse students. The study presents a survey that assesses preservice teachers’ use of different modalities of multiliteracies, new literacies, and literacy approaches in teaching nationally and globally via confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The Pedagogical Content Knowledge of Multiliteracies (PCKM) was administered to a sample of preservice teachers; 251 preservice teachers participated in the validation of the instrument in this study, and an expert review panel was utilized. The CFA produced a good model fit. A coefficient omega within the range 0.82–0.93 shows the reliability of the constructs. The paper contributes to the literature on pedagogical content knowledge using 21st-century approaches. The discussion focuses on the practical implications of using the survey in teacher education programs. The PCKM is reliable and valid.