Abstract

• The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of science teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge on students’ achievement in science teaching at the middle school level. A quantitative descriptive research method was used in this study. One township in each district in Yangon Region was selected. Two high schools and two middle schools were chosen in each township. A total of sixteen basic education schools were included in this study. The sample size of junior assistant science teachers was (75) and of Grade Six students was (630). The instruments used in this study were science teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge questionnaire based on the Magnusson, Krajcik and Borko model of pedagogical content knowledge, students’ achievement test based on the Grade Six General Science Text book and an interview form. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge questionnaire was (.833). Descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA and Pearson-product moment correlation were used to analyze the data. One-way ANOVA results indicated that there were significant differences between science teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge and students’ science achievement among the selected schools. Thus, science teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge and students’ science achievement are different in the selected schools. Moreover, ANOVA results also pointed that there is a significant difference in science teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge by science teaching services. So, science teachers who possessed more teaching services have higher pedagogical content knowledge than those who possessed less teaching services. Pearsonproduct moment correlation result revealed that a high level of science teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge will bring about a high level of students’ science achievement.