Students’ performance in physics over the years in external examinations has been very poor and not encouraging. This may be due to their poor conceptions or misconceptions about the physics concepts they are exposed to in schools. Teachers are critical factors in students’ learning; thus assessing the Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) of secondary school physics teachers becomes imperative. This study was aimed at assessing the Pedagogical Content Knowledge of secondary school physics teachers in the concept of force and motion. Two research questions were raised and one hypothesis tested in the study. The research design for the study was the survey design. A sample of 80 physics teachers selected from both public and private schools across the seven L.G.A in Edo South senatorial district participated in the study. The instrument used for data collection was the Questionnaire on Physics Teachers Pedagogical Content Knowledge (QPTPCK) which was validated by two secondary school physics teachers, a Lecturer in Physics Department in University of Benin, and an expert in measurement and evaluation. The reliability coefficient for the QPTPCK was found to be 0.80 using the cronbach alpha technique. The data collected were analyzed using the means and t-test of independent samples. It was revealed in this study that secondary school physics teachers had average (moderate) level of PCK. There was a significant difference in the level of PCK held by physics teachers of different qualification and teaching experience but there was no significant difference in the level of PCK held by physics teachers of different specializations. Based on the findings of this study, it was recommended among others that there is the need for the organization of workshops, seminars and any other form of in service training for physics teachers.
Year Of Publication
Volume
Page Range
12-20