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    Subject Knowledge - Importance of Subject Specialist

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    abuazfa
    Teachers need strong subject knowledge to effectively teach students. Without a deep understanding of the content, teachers will struggle to identify student misconceptions, evaluate student reasoning, and provide valuable instruction through worked examples. The document provides tips for teachers to audit their own subject knowledge, identify gaps, and ways to improve through resources like subject associations, online courses, reading, and learning from other teachers.

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    Subject Knowledge - Importance of Subject Specialist

    Uploaded by

    abuazfa
    6 views7 pages
    Teachers need strong subject knowledge to effectively teach students. Without a deep understanding of the content, teachers will struggle to identify student misconceptions, evaluate student reasoning, and provide valuable instruction through worked examples. The document provides tips for teachers to audit their own subject knowledge, identify gaps, and ways to improve through resources like subject associations, online courses, reading, and learning from other teachers.

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    Subject knowledge – Importance of subject specialist

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    Teachers need strong subject knowledge to effectively teach students. Without a deep understanding of the content, teachers will struggle to identify student misconceptions, evaluate student reasoning, and provide valuable instruction through worked examples. The document provides tips for teachers to audit their own subject knowledge, identify gaps, and ways to improve through resources like subject associations, online courses, reading, and learning from other teachers.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pptx, pdf, or txt
    6 views7 pages

    Subject Knowledge - Importance of Subject Specialist

    Uploaded by

    abuazfa
    Teachers need strong subject knowledge to effectively teach students. Without a deep understanding of the content, teachers will struggle to identify student misconceptions, evaluate student reasoning, and provide valuable instruction through worked examples. The document provides tips for teachers to audit their own subject knowledge, identify gaps, and ways to improve through resources like subject associations, online courses, reading, and learning from other teachers.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pptx, pdf, or txt
    of 7

    Subject knowledge – Importance

    of subject specialist
    The most effective teachers have deep knowledge of the subjects they teach, and
    when teachers’ knowledge falls below a certain level it is a significant impediment
    to students’ learning. As well as a strong understanding of the material being
    taught, teachers must also understand the ways students think about the content,
    be able to evaluate the thinking behind students’ own methods, and identify
    students’ common misconceptions.
    Why do teachers need subject knowledge?

    • This may sound like an obvious answer, but if you don’t


    have detailed subject knowledge you will not be able to
    deliver valuable instruction to pupils.
    • Some research shows that the most effective Maths
    teachers spent 50% of the lesson demonstrating and
    going through examples. The least effective spent only
    10%.
    • In essence, if you don’t have good subject knowledge
    you will be a less effective teacher than someone with
    good subject knowledge. Being “one page ahead” is not
    enough.
    How do I identify my gaps?
    • Carry out an honest subject knowledge audit.
    Test it by completing A Level exam papers and
    checking each other’s work and looking at it
    against the mark scheme.
    • Be aware of the gaps in your knowledge when
    you are teaching .
    How to approach upskilling?
    • Look at the new curriculum and RAG rate yourself - what
    did I already know enough about to teach my students,
    what did I need to brush up on, and what had I never
    heard of.
    • After this read the textbook on the red bits so you could
    move up to amber, but still focus on trying to get to
    green by supplementing this with 'extension'
    knowledge.
    • ASK - What would make me more confident in
    explaining this to students and answering their
    questions?
    How to improve gaps?
    • Join a subject association or subject-specific websites and talk to other teachers
    who are experts in particular areas:
    – STEM Learning - Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths
    • FutureLearn has lots of online courses, some of them free.
    • YouTube is your friend. There are so many presentations, explanations, 101s and
    talks on every subject under the sun. Check the source of the video, however.
    • Read books, listen to podcasts, or watch documentaries/films recommended by
    other teachers.
    • Twitter is great to get links to other subject specific things,
    • When you are watching, listening, make a crib sheet of facts you want to
    remember. Like pupils, you can’t take everything in. So make a knowledge
    organiser for yourself, highlighting the key facts you want your pupils to know to
    extend their knowledge. Share this with students to show your growth mindset
    and that we aren’t the fountains of all knowledge but we definitely aspire to be.
    Some recommendations

    • Twitter - Set up a Twitter account and ask people


    for their advice.
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • Subject Organisations
    • Books
    • Google what books other teachers have read
    when doing your topic.
    • TES
    How departments can help
    • Teach each other - department CPD session on
    teaching each other something connected to
    the new A Level/GCSE specification.

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