Examining Pedagogical Content Knowledge and Perspectives of Second-Year Elementary Student Teachers through 5E Learning Cycle Integrated with Science Board Games

บทคัดย่อ

This study aimed to examine the Pedagogical Content Knowledge and perspectives of second-year elementary student teachers through the implementation of the 5E learning cycle integrated with science board games. This qualitative study examined the Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) and perspectives of 30 second-year elementary student teachers. The participants were enrolled in a Learning Management in Science for Elementary School Teachers course at a Thai university. They collaboratively designed inquiry-based lesson plans and implemented them through micro-teaching sessions. Data were collected via lesson documents, observations, reflective journals, and interviews. The analysis was guided by Magnusson et al.’s (1999) PCK framework using interpretive induction. Qualitative data were analyzed using interpretive inductive analysis, while quantitative data from the questionnaire were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including mean and standard deviation. The findings revealed that the student teachers demonstrated emerging Pedagogical Content Knowledge across all five components. The integration of the 5E learning cycle and science board games supported inquiry-based learning, collaborative interaction, and active student engagement. In addition, the participants reported highly positive perspectives toward the instructional approach (M = 4.62, S.D. = 0.57), particularly regarding instructional design and learner-centered learning. The study suggests that integrating inquiry-based learning models with science board games provides meaningful opportunities for developing student teachers’ Pedagogical Content Knowledge and fostering innovative science teaching practices in elementary education.