Exploring the development of pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) for health professions educators through faculty...

Area of Science:

• Health Professions Education
• Faculty Development
• Pedagogical Content Knowledge

Background:

• Limited research exists on faculty development initiatives for enhancing pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) among health professions educators.
• PCK is crucial for effective teaching and professional knowledge in health professions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how health professions educators develop PCK through a faculty development initiative.
• To explore the utility of the Content Representation (CoRe) tool in supporting PCK development.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative approach using social constructionism.
• Eight health professions educators participated in developing PCK-infused lesson plans using the CoRe tool.
• Data collected through interviews, reflections, and lesson plans; analyzed via thematic framework analysis.

Main Results:

• Four themes emerged: articulating teaching purposes, understanding student needs, promoting reflection, and challenges with the CoRe tool.
• Faculty development programs play a critical role in PCK development.
• The CoRe tool is valuable for articulating and scaffolding PCK for educators.

Conclusions:

• Faculty development initiatives, particularly those using the CoRe tool, are effective for enhancing PCK in health professions education.
• Collaborative environments foster peer learning and knowledge sharing, strengthening PCK understanding.
• The study affirms the relevance of PCK within the health professions education community.