Subject Knowledge and its Application: problems and possibilities for teacher educators

Abstract

In Britain and the USA, policy‐makers are promoting student teachers’ knowledge of subjects and their application of subject knowledge in the classroom as a key element in the reform of teacher training. The educational arguments which support this policy are reviewed together with recent studies which have investigated the ways in which students’ knowledge of subjects may inform their teaching. Issues emerging from the discussion which need to be addressed by teacher educators responsible for main subject study and application include: the scope of students’ knowledge and coverage of subject matter, an appreciation of the manner in which students’ application of subject matter is shaped by classroom practice, and the need to ensure that knowledge of the subject is combined with an understanding of the child.