Teacher's Pedagogical Content Knowledge as Predictor of Students' Numerical Proficiency in Solving Physics Problems in Secondary schools

Abstract

The research examined the relationship between teachers' pedagogical content knowledge and students'
abilities in solving numerical problems in physics at the secondary school level. The study was organized
around two specific objectives, two research questions, and two hypotheses. Acorrelational survey research
design was employed for this study. Conducted in the Onitsha Education Zone of Anambra State, the study
included a sample of 61 physics teachers (4 males and 57 females) and 6,348 SS2 students from 32 public
secondary schools. Atotal of 220 participants were chosen through a multi-stage sampling technique, which
comprised 20 teachers (4 male and 16 female) and 200 physics students. Data were gathered using two
validated tools: the Physics Teachers' Pedagogical Content Knowledge Rating Scale (PTPCKRS) and the
Physics Students' Numerical Proficiency Test (PSNPT), both of which were validated by three experts. The
reliability of the PTPCKRS was evaluated using the Cronbach alpha formula, resulting in a reliability score
of 0.73. In contrast, the reliability of the PSNPT was determined through scorer reliability, employing the
Kendall coefficient of concordance, which yielded a reliability coefficient of 0.71. The researcher, with the
support of five research assistants, conducted the tests. Data analysis was carried out using simple linear
regression to address the research question and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) for the hypothesis.
The results indicated that teachers' pedagogical content knowledge is a significant predictor of students'
numerical proficiency in solving physics problems. Furthermore, the coefficient of determination (R square)
of 0.406 indicate that teachers' pedagogical content knowledge accounts for 40.6% of the variance in
students' numerical proficiency in this area. Additionally, the study demonstrated that both male and female
teachers' pedagogical content knowledge serves as a predictor of students' numerical proficiency in solving
physics problems. Therefore, it was recommended that teacher training institutions prioritize the effective
acquisition and mastery of content knowledge and suitable pedagogical strategies for all prospective
educators irrespective of their gender