Using Studio-Based Learning for Enhancing EFL Preservice Teachers’ Pedagogical Knowledge and Investigating the Effect on their Pedagogical Content Knowledge

Abstract

This research utilized a studio-based learning classroom to enhance students/teachers’ pedagogical knowledge and investigated the effect of this treatment on their pedagogical content knowledge. Participants of the research were pre-tested and divided into an experimental group (n=38) and a control group (n=38). The research employed a pre/post pedagogical knowledge test and an analytic pedagogical content knowledge rubric. The experiment lasted for 2 months during which the experimental group members were trained in a collaborative studio classroom on classroom management and lesson planning. Traditional lectures on the same topics were delivered to the control group. Upon the completion of the experiment, the participants were post-tested. When statistical analysis was done, it was found that a significant difference existed between the mean scores of the experimental and control groups on the post- administration of both the test and the rubric. Moreover, the proposed studio-based learning classroom was found to be of a large effect size on enhancing the pedagogical knowledge of the targeted topics of the experimental group. So, it was concluded that it had a greater effect size in enhancing the targeted pedagogical knowledge topics for the experimental group than the traditional lecturing for the control group. It seemed also that a positive correlation existed between enhancing students/teachers’ pedagogical knowledge and developing their pedagogical content knowledge. So, the research recommended that: (1) As students’ pedagogical knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge are not less important than their content knowledge, they should be given more attention in Egyptian EFL faculties of education. (2) Developing EFL prospective teachers' pedagogical knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge via studio-based learning is worthwhile and requires more investigation.

Keywords: Pedagogical knowledge, pedagogical content knowledge, studio-based learning, EFL students/teachers’ preparation.