PEDAGOGICAL CONTENT KNOWLEDGE FOR INITIAL READING INSTRUCTION: THE PETER EFFECT IN TEACHER EDUCATION IN ZAMBIA

Abstract

Learning to read is a complex skill requiring systematic and explicit instructions from teachers with specialised pedagogical content knowledge. Without a working knowledge of the role of phonological processing, the teachers’ effectiveness is ominously compromised. This study sought to determine Zambian reading teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge of language-based concepts that promote the reading development in beginning readers. A teacher’s knowledge of basic language constructs questionnaire was administered to 110 in-service teachers at one of Zambia’s major universities. Results showed that teachers’ understanding of language concepts was significantly poor to teach reading effectively. Results showed low correlations between teachers’ perceptions of their familiarity and instruction aptitudes, and their actual achievement on a measure of basic language concepts that underlie the reading process. It is recommended that the teacher education curricula incorporates key language concepts, and make teaching-learning guides and reading resources, not only accessible but also easily comprehensible for student teachers.