After the Content Course: An Expert-Novice Study of Disciplinary Literacy Practices

Abstract

This manuscript presents findings and implications from multiple case study of how teacher candidates in secondary and middle childhood programs learn specialized knowledge, skills, and expertise from disciplinary experts in content courses and enact practices of disciplinary literacy in field placements. An expert-novice framework was employed to explore the pedagogical content knowledge of experts (professors of economics and history) and novices (middle childhood and secondary social studies teacher candidates) who taught history and economics during their clinical internships. Data were analyzed from participants’ think-aloud and cart sort activities, semi-structured interviews, classroom artifacts, and classroom observations. The findings provide key insights in the preparation of teacher candidates in social studies.