Researchers in the field of teacher knowledge have been attempting to delineate pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) in different subjects and different levels of education. To date, there is a need to develop a nuanced understanding on the PCK of Early Childhood Education (ECE) teachers who teach English as a foreign language (EFL). This study used a qualitative method, stimulated recall classroom observation, to investigate the categories and subcategories of PCK of Chinese EFL teachers from Chinese/English bilingual kindergartens in China. Two novice EFL teachers with less than 2 years of post-qualification teaching experience participated in this study. The data revealed three categories of PCK of ECE EFL teachers in the Chinese context: knowledge of curriculum, knowledge of learners, and knowledge of teaching strategies and multiple representations. Influenced by knowledge of curriculum, and knowledge of teaching strategies and multiple representations, the teachers had commonalities in classroom practice which were the product-oriented pedagogy and the textbook-led syllabus in the Chinese context. The study has several implications for research and practice for ECE EFL teacher education, especially for those practicing in the Chinese context.
AbdelhafezA. (2010). An investigation into professional practical knowledge of EFL experienced teachers in Egypt: Implications for pre-service and in-service teacher learning. Doctoral dissertation, University of Exeter, UK. Available at: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.529276 (accessed April 2022).
2.
AlexanderA.D. (2016). Preschool teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge for science. Master’s thesis, University of Miami, Miami, HI, USA. Available at: https://scholarlyrepository.miami.edu/oa_theses/596 (accessed April 2022).
3.
AndrewsS. (1999). Why do L2 teachers need to ‘know about language’? Teacher metalinguistic awareness and input for learning. Language and Education, 13, 161–177.
4.
AndrewsS. (2017). Teacher language awareness. In CenozJ.GorterD.MayS.(Eds.), Language awareness and multilingualism (pp. 219–231). 3rd edition.Springer International.
5.
AvalosB. (2016). Learning from research on beginning teachers. In LoughranJ.HamiltonM.L. (Eds.), International handbook of teacher education: Volume 1 (pp. 487–523). Springer Singapore.
6.
BaumertJ.KunterM.BlumW., et al. (2010). Teachers’ mathematical knowledge, cognitive activation in the classroom, and student progress. American Educational Research Journal, 47, 133–180.
7.
BorgS. (2003). Teacher cognition in language teaching: A review of research on what language teachers think, know, believe, and do. Language Teaching, 36, 81–109.
8.
BorgS. (2006). The distinctive characteristics of foreign language teachers. Language Teaching Research, 10, 3–31.
9.
BronerM.A.TaroneE.E. (2001). Is it fun? language play in a fifth-grade Spanish immersion classroom. The Modern Language Journal, 85, 363–379.
10.
BrookhartS.M.FreemanD.J. (1992). Characteristics of entering teacher candidates. Review of Educational Research, 62, 37–60.
11.
Bukova-GüzelE. (2010). An investigation of pre-service mathematics teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge, using solid objects. Scientific Research and Essays, 5, 1872–1880.
12.
BurnsA.FreemanD.EdwardsE. (2015). Theorizing and studying the language-teaching mind: Mapping research on language teacher cognition. The Modern Language Journal, 99, 585–601.
13.
ButlerY.G. (2004). What level of English proficiency do elementary school teachers need to attain to teach EFL? case studies from Korea, Taiwan, and Japan. TESOL Quarterly, 38, 245–278.
14.
ButlerY.G. (2005). Comparative perspectives towards communicative activities among elementary school teachers in South Korea, Japan and Taiwan. Language Teaching Research, 9, 423–446.
15.
ButlerY.G. (2007). Foreign language education at elementary schools in Japan: Searching for solutions amidst growing diversification. Current Issues in Language Planning, 8, 129–147.
16.
CalderheadJ. (1991). The nature and growth of knowledge in student teaching. Teaching and Teacher Education, 7, 531–535.
17.
CanagarajahA.S. (2013). Translingual practice global Englishes and cosmopolitan relations. Routledge.
18.
CanhL.V. (2019). Unpacking the complexity of learning to teach English to young learners: A narrative inquiry. In ZeinS.GartonD.S. (Eds.), Early language learning and teacher education: International research and practice (pp. 41–58). Multilingual Matters.
19.
ChenJ.H. (2005). 中籍幼兒英語教師與外籍幼兒英語教師之教學行為差異研究 [Teaching behavior differences between native and non-native English teachers in early childhood education]. Master’s thesis, Providence University of Taiwan, Taichung City, Taiwan. National Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations in Taiwan. Available at: https://hdl.handle.net/11296/su932r (accessed April 2022).
20.
CummingA. (1989). Student teachers’ conceptions of curriculum: Toward an understanding of language-teacher development. TESL Canada Journal, 7, 33–51.
21.
DrewC.J.HardmanM.L.HospJ.L. (2008). Designing and conducting research in education. Sage.
22.
Education Department of Guangdong Province (2018). 廣東省教育階段信息服務專題 [Statistical bulletins on the development of education in Guangdong]. Education Department of Guangdong Province. Available at: http://xxpt.gdedu.gov.cn/tj/wbfw/wbfw_visitor.do?action=index&xxxlb_m=4 (accessed April 2022).
23.
Education Department of Henan Province (2017). 年河南省教育事業發展統計公報 [Statistical bulletins on the development of education in Henan]. Education Department of Henan Province. Available at: http://jyt.henan.gov.cn/2018/04-02/1604275.html (accessed April 2022).
EneverJ.LindgrenE. (2017). Mixed methods in early language learning research. In EneverJ.LindgrenE. (Eds.), Early language learning: Complexity and mixed methods (pp. 305–313). Multilingual Matters.
26.
FreemanD.JohnsonK.E. (1998). Reconceptualizing the knowledge-base of language teacher education. TESOL Quarterly, 32, 397–417.
GatbontonE. (1999). Investigating experienced ESL teachers’ pedagogical knowledge. Modern Language Journal, 83, 35–50.
29.
GatbontonE. (2008). Looking beyond teachers’ classroom behaviour: Novice and experienced ESL teachers’ pedagogical knowledge. Language Teaching Research, 12, 161–182.
30.
GeneseeF. (2006). Bilingual first language acquisition in perspective. In McCardleP.HoffE. (Eds.), Childhood bilingualism: Research on infancy through school age. Child language and child development (pp. 45–68). Multilingual Matters.
31.
GeneseeF. (2016). Rethinking early childhood education for English language learners: The role of language. In MurphyV.A.EvangelouM. (Eds.), Early childhood education in English for speakers of other languages (pp. 21–43). British Council.
32.
Gess-NewsomeJ. (2015). A model of teacher professional knowledge and skill including PCK. In BerryA.FriedrichsenP.LoughranJ. (Eds.), Re-examining pedagogical content knowledge in science education (pp. 28–42). Routledge.
33.
GhosnI. (2018). Materials for early language learning. In GartonS.CoplandF. (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of teaching English to young learners (pp. 374–388). Routledge.
34.
GloriaG.A. (1996). Student foreign language teacher’s knowledge growth. In FreemanD.RichardsJ. (Eds.), Teacher learning in language teaching (pp. 50–78). Cambridge University Press.
35.
GrbichC. (2007). Qualitative data analysis: An introduction. Sage.
36.
GrossmanP.L. (1990). The making of a teacher: Teacher knowledge and teacher education. Teachers College.
37.
HendryxJ.D. (2008). Experienced foreign and second language instructors’ pedagogical content knowledge and language play (Publication No. 3318188). Doctoral dissertation, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
38.
HooverM.MosvoldR.BallD.L.LaiY. (2016). Making progress on mathematical knowledge for teaching. Mathematics Enthusiast, 13, 3–34.
39.
HumeA.BerryA. (2011). Constructing CoRes: A strategy for building PCK in pre-service science teacher education. Research in Science Education, 41, 341–355.
40.
KarimiM.N.NorouziM. (2017). Scaffolding teacher cognition: Changes in novice L2 teachers’ pedagogical knowledge base through expert mentoring initiatives. System, 65, 38–48.
41.
KatzL.G. (1977). Talks with teachers: Reflections on early childhood education. National Association for the Education of Young Children.
42.
KimE.A. (2014). English language education in two kindergarten classes in Korea: Pedagogical practices and insiders’ perceptions (Publication No. 3691397). Doctoral dissertation, The University of Texas at Austin.
43.
KimJ.I. (2013). Development and validation of early childhood language teacher knowledge: A survey study of Korean teachers of English (Publication No. 3598676). Doctoral dissertation, State University of New York at Buffalo, NY, USA.
44.
KönigJ.LammerdingS.NoldG., et al. (2016). Teachers’ professional knowledge for teaching English as a foreign language: Assessing the outcomes of teacher education. Journal of Teacher Education, 67, 320–337.
45.
Larsen-FreemanD.CameronL. (Eds.) (2008) Complex systems and applied linguistics. Oxford University Press.
46.
LeeJ. (2010). Exploring kindergarten teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge of mathematics. International Journal of Early Childhood, 42, 27–41.
47.
LeeJ.E. (2017). Preschool teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge in mathematics. International Journal of Early Childhood, 49, 229–243.
48.
LewisJ. (2003). Design issues. In RitchieJ.LewisJ. (Eds.), Qualitative research practice: A guide for social science students and researchers (pp. 47–76). Sage.
49.
LiangL.LiH.ChikA. (2020). Two countries, one policy: A comparative synthesis of early childhood English language education in China and Australia. Children and Youth Services Review, 118, 105386.
50.
LiaoD.S. (2002). 論中國幼兒英語教育史 [History of English teaching in early childhood]. 陜西師范大學學報 (哲學社會科學版) [Journal of Shaanxi Normal University (Philosophy and Social Sciences Edition)], 31, 134–142.
51.
LinY.Z. (2003). 台北市幼稚園及托兒所中籍英語教師教學現況之研究 [A study of Chinese kindergarten and preschool English teachers and their teaching practice in Taipei city]. Master’s thesis, National Taipei University of Education, Taipei City, Taiwan. National Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations in Taiwan. Available at: https://hdl.handle.net/11296/9h75an (accessed April 2022).
52.
LinZ. (2012). Code-switching: L1-coded mediation in a kindergarten foreign language classroom. International Journal of Early Years Education, 20, 365–378.
53.
LindahlK.M. (2013). Exploring an invisible medium: Teacher language awareness among preservice K12 educators of English language learners (Publication No. 3563406). Doctoral dissertation, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
54.
LiuH. (2011). 幼兒園浸入式英語教學師資存在的主要問題及其解決對策 [Issues about the main problems of the English immersion teachers in the kindergartens]. 學前教育研究 [Studies in Preschool Education], 6, 18–20.
55.
LuoY.X. (2009). 幼兒英語教師教學經驗之探究 [Exploring an early childhood English teacher’s teaching experience]. Master’s thesis, Chao Yang University of Technology of Taiwan, Taichung City, Taiwan. National Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations in Taiwan. Available at: https://hdl.handle.net/11296/5ftm8j (accessed April 2022).
56.
MackeyA.GassS.M. (2005). Second language research: Methodology and design. Erlbaum.
57.
MayerD.MarlandP. (1997). Teachers’ knowledge of students: A significant domain of practical knowledge?Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 25, 17–34.
58.
MoonJ. (2009). The teacher factor in early foreign language learning programmes: The case of Vietnam. In NikolovM. (Ed.), The age factor and early language learning (pp. 311–336). Walter de Gruyter.
59.
MourãoS. (2014). Taking play seriously in the pre-primary English classroom. ELT Journal, 68, 254–264.
60.
MourãoS. (2018a). Play and peer interaction in a low-exposure foreign language-learning programme. In SchwartzM. (Ed.), Preschool bilingual education: Agency in interactions between children, teachers, and parents (pp. 313–342). Springer.
61.
MourãoS. (2018b). Research into the teaching of English as a foreign language in early childhood education and care. In GartonS.CoplandF. (Eds.), The Routledge handbook of teaching English to young learners (pp. 425–440). Routledge.
62.
MullockB. (2006). The pedagogical knowledge base of four TESOL teachers. The Modern Language Journal, 90, 48–66.
63.
MurphyV.A.EvangelouM. (Eds.). (2016). Early childhood education in English for speakers of other languages. British Council.
64.
NgM.L. (2011). Teaching and learning of English in Hong Kong kindergartens: Patterns and practices. Doctoral dissertation, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
65.
NikolovM. (2009). The age factor and early language learning. Mouton de Gruyter.
66.
NunanD. (2004). Task-based language teaching. Revised edition. Cambridge University Press.
67.
NilssonP.LoughranJ. (2012). Exploring the development of pre-service science elementary teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge. Journal of Science Teacher Education, 23, 699–721.
68.
PikerR.A. (2013). Understanding influences of play on second language learning: A microethnographic view in one head start preschool classroom. Journal of Early Childhood Research, 11, 184–200.
69.
Reed-MeehanP.A. (2017). Examining the relationship between play and early language and literacy learning (Publication No. 10824302). Doctoral dissertation, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY, USA.
70.
ShuibM. (2009). Grammatical awareness among primary school English language teachers. GEMA Online Journal of Language Studies, 9, 35–46.
71.
ShulmanL.S. (1986). Those who understand: Knowledge growth in teaching. Educational Researcher, 15, 4–14.
72.
ShulmanL.S. (1987). Knowledge and teaching: Foundations of the new reform. Harvard Educational Review, 57, 1–23.
73.
SpodekB. (1987). Thought processes underlying preschool teachers’ classroom decisions. Early Child Development and Care, 29, 197–208.
74.
SueG.FionaC. (Eds.). (2018). The Routledge handbook of teaching English to young learnersRoutledge.
75.
TangD. (2008). 學前英語教育師資培養的特殊性 [The particularity of preschool English teacher education]. 學前教育研究 [Studies in Early Childhood Education], 7, 20–21.
TaroneE.AllwrightD. (2005). Language teacher-learning and student language-learning: Shaping the knowledge base. In TedickD.J. (Ed.), Second language teacher education: International perspectives (pp. 5–23). Erlbaum.
78.
TattoM.T.PeckR.SchwilleJ., et al. (2012). Policy, practice, and readiness to teach primary and secondary mathematics in 17 countries: Findings from the IEA teacher education and development study in mathematics (TEDS-M). International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement. Available at: https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED542380 (accessed April 2022).
79.
WestermanD.A. (1991). Expert and novice teacher decision making. Journal of Teacher Education, 42, 292–305.
80.
YuZ.Y.RuanJ.N. (2012). Early childhood English education in China. In RuanJ.N.LeungC. (Eds.), Perspectives on teaching and learning English literacy in China (pp. 51–65). Springer.
81.
ZeinS. (2016). Government-based training agencies and the professional development of Indonesian teachers of English for young learners: Perspectives from complexity theory. Journal of Education for Teaching, 42, 205–223.
82.
ZeinS. (2017). Professional development needs of primary EFL teachers: Perspectives of teachers and teacher educators. Professional Development in Education, 43, 293–313.
83.
ZeinS.GartonD.S. (2019). Early language learning and teacher education: International research and practice. Multilingual Matters.
84.
ZhangF.ZhaoY.C. (2019). Ensure equal access to quality preschool education. In YangD.P. (Ed.), Chinese research perspectives on educational development: Volume 4 (pp. 122–138). Brill.
85.
ZhouY.L.NgM.L. (2016). English as a foreign language (EFL) and English medium instruction (EMI) for three-to-seven-year-old children in East Asian contexts. In MurphyV.A.EvangelouM. (Eds.), Early childhood education in English for speakers of other languages (pp. 137–159). British Council.
