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1. Building bridges: a review and synthesis of research on teaching knowledge for undergraduate instruction in science, engineering, and mathematics

   https://doi.org/10.1186/s40594-022-00380-w  

   Andrews, Tessa C.; Speer, Natasha M.; Shultz, Ginger V. (December 2022, International Journal of STEM Education)

   Abstract Here, we systematically review research on teaching knowledge in the context of undergraduate STEM education, with particular attention to what this research reveals about knowledge that is important for evidence-based teaching. Evidence-based teaching can improve student outcomes in undergraduate STEM education. However, the enactment of promising evidence-based teaching strategies depends greatly on the instructor and potentially on the teaching knowledge they are able to deploy. The review includes an overview of prevalent teaching knowledge theory, including pedagogical content knowledge, mathematical knowledge for teaching, and pedagogical knowledge. We compare and contrast teaching knowledge theory and terminology across STEM disciplines in order to build bridges for researchers across disciplines. Our search for peer-reviewed investigations of teaching knowledge in undergraduate science, engineering and mathematics yielded 45 papers. We examined the theoretical frameworks used in each study and analyzed study approaches, comparing across disciplines. Importantly, we also synthesized findings from research conducted in the context of evidence-based teaching. Overall, teaching knowledge research is sparse and siloed by discipline, and we call for collaborative work and better bridge-building across STEM disciplines. Though disciplinary divergences are common in discipline-based education research, the effect is magnified in this research area because the theoretical frameworks are themselves siloed by discipline. Investigations of declarative knowledge were common, and we call for increased attention to knowledge used in the practice of teaching. Finally, there are not many studies examining teaching knowledge in the context of evidence-based teaching, but the existing work suggests that components of pedagogical content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and content knowledge influence the implementation of evidence-based teaching. We describe implications for future teaching knowledge research. We also call on those who develop and test evidence-based strategies and curriculum to consider, from the beginning, the teaching knowledge needed for effective implementation. 

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2. Bridging the Gap: Empowering Rural Teachers to Navigate the Complex Terrain of Climate Science Education

   https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-24-0061.1  

   Scheer, Madison_M C; Weinberg, Andrea E; Sample_McMeeking, Laura B; Balgopal, Meena M (November 2025, Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society)

   Abstract Despite significant resources dedicated to climate science education, teachers often encounter unique challenges due to local cultural and social norms. This study investigates these challenges faced by teachers in rural eastern Colorado when teaching anthropogenic climate change mandated in state academic standards. We explored teachers’ confidence in their knowledge, their belief in the importance of teaching this topic, and concerns about potential risks that influenced their teaching decisions. We found that teachers’ instructional choices are shaped by both their lack of understanding of the scientific evidence for climate change and concerns about community backlash. These findings highlight the need for support that goes beyond simply improving teachers’ scientific knowledge. We recommend 1) providing local examples to make climate science more relevant to students’ lives, 2) involving community members and school administrators in professional development to foster a supportive environment, and 3) partnering with trusted local figures, such as agricultural extension agents, to build bridges between scientific expertise and local knowledge. Significance StatementThis research sheds light on the complex challenges that rural science teachers face when teaching climate change, often a polarizing topic in their communities. We found that teachers’ confidence, knowledge, and concerns about potential backlash significantly influence their instructional choices. This highlights the need for professional development that goes beyond scientific content. Teachers need to be empowered to navigate these complexities to foster productive conversations about climate change in their classrooms, preparing students to become engaged community members. 

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3. MATHEMATICAL KNOWLEDGE FOR TEACHING PROOF: COMPARING SECONDARY TEACHERS, PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS AND UNDERGRADUATE STEM MAJORS

   Buchbinder, O.; McCrone, S.; Capozzoli, M.; Butler, R. (January 2021, Proceedings of the 43rd Meeting of the North American Chapter of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education)

   Olanoff, D.; Johnson, K.; Spitzer, S. (Ed.)

   It has been suggested that integrating reasoning and proof in mathematics teaching requires a special type of teacher knowledge - Mathematical Knowledge for Teaching Proof (MKT-P). Yet, several important questions about the nature of MKT-P remain open, specifically, whether MKT-P is a type of knowledge specific to teachers, and whether MKT-P can be improved through intervention. We explored these questions by comparing performance on an MKT-P questionnaire of in-service secondary mathematics teachers, undergraduate STEM majors, and pre-service secondary mathematics teachers. The latter group completed the questionnaire twice- before and after participating in a capstone course, Mathematical Reasoning and Proving for Secondary Teachers. Our data suggest that MKT-P is indeed a special kind of knowledge specific to teachers and it can be improved through interventions. 

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4. Evidence for Macroevolution

   https://doi.org/10.1525/abt.2025.87.2.93  

   Hoskinson, Joshua S; Wideman, Jeremy G (February 2025, The American Biology Teacher)

   The teaching and learning of macroevolutionary processes have received limited attention in the evolution education literature despite their importance in evolution acceptance and evolution understanding. This necessitates the development of pedagogical content knowledge, including best practices in curriculum and instruction, on macroevolutionary processes that support student understanding and acceptance of macroevolution. One promising approach is to consider macroevolution at the microbiological level by teaching endosymbiotic theory while capitalizing on pre-existing pedagogical content knowledge of tree thinking and bioinformatics. Here, we present a computational laboratory activity that guides students through the construction of a phylogeny based on the universal small subunit ribosomal RNA gene. The resulting phylogenetic tree demonstrates that the photosynthetic organelles of the protist Paulinella chromatophora evolved independently of the chloroplasts of plants and algae. This not only addresses the need for pedagogical content knowledge in macroevolution in an interdisciplinary and integrative fashion, but also serves as a foundation for future research into the teaching of endosymbiosis. This activity is designed for a 15–20 student introductory/intermediate biology laboratory. 

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5. Understanding the characteristics of mathematical knowledge for teaching algebra in high schools and community colleges

   https://doi.org/10.1080/0020739X.2021.2006348  

   Ko, Inah; Mesa, Vilma; Duranczyk, Irene; Herbst, Patricio; Kohli, Nidhi; Ström, April; Watkins, Laura (December 2021, International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology)

   In this paper, we examine the relationships between teachers’ subject matter preparation and experience in teaching and their performance on an instrument measuring mathematical knowledge for teaching Algebra 1. We administered the same instrument to two different samples of teachers−high school practicing teachers and community college faculty − who teach the same algebra content in different levels of institutions, and we compared the performance of the two different samples and the relationships between the measured knowledge and their educational and teaching background across the samples. The comparison suggested that the community college faculty possess a higher level of mathematical knowledge for teaching Algebra 1 than high school teachers. The subsequent analyses using the Multiple Indicator Multiple Causes (MIMIC) models based on our hypothesis on the factors contributing to the differences in the knowledge between the two teacher samples suggest that experience teaching advanced algebra courses has positive effects on the mathematical knowledge for teaching Algebra 1 in both groups. Highlighting the positive effect of algebra-based teaching experience on test performance, we discuss the implications of the impact of subject specific experience in teaching on teachers’ mathematical content knowledge for teaching. 

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