ERIC Number: EJ1456541
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2025
Pages: 24
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0887-8730
EISSN: EISSN-1838-8101
It's What You Know: A Needs Assessment of MAT Students' Social Studies Content Knowledge
Teacher Educator, v60 n1 p13-36 2025
Although MAT pedagogy-only programs provide opportunities for career changers and college graduates with an expedited pathway into a teaching career while working and attending graduate school, there are concerns regarding whether these teachers possess strong subject matter knowledge. The purpose of this study is to examine MAT pedagogy-only middle and secondary social studies teachers' confidence levels in their content knowledge of general and specialized content-area topics in social studies. Our major findings show that their confidence levels are based upon their academic studies, experiential knowledge, and grade levels that they teach. Based on these findings, we recommend that education preparation providers offer content-area supports in the form of professional development and content-area tutoring to support MAT pedagogy-only students' content knowledge for middle and secondary social studies instruction.
Descriptors: Needs Assessment, Social Studies, Knowledge Level, Masters Degrees, Education Majors, Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Prior Learning, Experiential Learning, Instructional Program Divisions, Self Esteem, Core Curriculum, Inservice Teacher Education, Secondary School Teachers, Teacher Attitudes, African American Teachers, White Teachers, Metropolitan Areas, Rural Areas, Private Colleges, Economics, Civics, Government (Administrative Body)
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education; Junior High Schools; Middle Schools; Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A