Claudia Vergara

Pedagogical content knowledge is central to teacher professional knowledge, yet existing models and reviews provide limited insight into the generalist work of primary teachers. This systematic review examined how this construct in primary education has been conceptualised, investigated, developed, and evidenced in empirical and review-based research on primary education across curriculum domains, teacher populations, and educational contexts. Following PRISMA 2020, Web of Science and Scopus were searched in July 2024 for articles and reviews published between 1986 and 2024 in English, Spanish, German, Turkish, and Chinese. Eligible studies focused on primary or elementary pre-service and in-service teachers; secondary, early childhood, tertiary, TPACK-focused, and conceptually ambiguous studies were excluded. A total of 303 studies were coded by discipline, teacher stage, methodology, location, and conceptual focus, and synthesized through structured narratives and comparative matrices. Quality assurance involved staged screening, manual coding, and independent verification. Evidence was concentrated in science and mathematics, Global North contexts, and qualitative designs. Findings show that primary teachers’ professional knowledge is domain-sensitive and transversal: content knowledge is necessary but insufficient, assessment remains weak as an enacted dimension, and pedagogical reasoning develops through representations, formative interpretation, reflection, and situated practice. The review provides an international knowledge base for future models, instruments, teacher education, professional development, and policy.

Determining what teachers know and how they apply that knowledge in practice has been a central concern for researchers over the past two decades (e.g. Abell, 2007; Chan & Hume, 2019; Van Driel et ...

Mental models are internal representations or conceptions that students construct as they make sense of their everyday interactions with the natural world. The layers of the Earth are topics covered in the Chilean national curriculum for primary and middle school education. Studies have shown that primary and middle school students hold many preconceptions about earthquakes, mountain formation, and volcanoes. In this study, we analyzed 785 drawings by students from six Chilean schools at six school levels. We developed and validated a rubric to analyze the students’ drawings of the Earth’s internal layers and identify the location of magma within the Earth. Among the main results, most students were found to draw concentric layers without distinguishing their thickness, number, or name. Fifth-grade and eleven-grade students were the most likely to create drawings that reflected the internal structures, albeit without differentiating the thickness of the layers. Most students placed magma in the center or core of the Earth. The study concludes that a possible learning progression begins with a framework theory in which students recognize aspects of their daily lives within the Earth, then continues with a mixed model in which scientific knowledge of concentric layers within the Earth is combined with the location of magma at the center, and ends with a model similar to that proposed by scientists.

This study explores the motivational impact of integrating playful didactic prototypes into science education, with a focus on secondary school contexts. The research is framed by user-centered design principles, active learning methodologies, and metamotivational theory, which distinguishes between telic states (goal-oriented) and paratelic states (process-oriented, playful, exploratory). The central objective was to assess whether tangible prototypes could transform classroom ideas into interactive tools that foster student engagement, curiosity, and intrinsic motivation. Two physical prototypes were developed through a five-stage design process: (1) identification of pedagogical needs, (2) conceptual design using C-K (Concept-Knowledge) and FBS (Function-Behavior-Structure) models, (3) prototyping and technical validation via 3D printing and iterative testing, (4) classroom implementation with real students, and (5) evaluation through quantitative and qualitative methods. The first prototype was a 3D globe with removable tectonic plates, and the second was a tectonic simulator in a box that visually and physically represented subduction and mountain formation. The evaluation involved 40 high school students divided into two case studies. Data were collected using the Telic/Paratelic Questionnaire, observational records, and semi-structured interviews. In Case 1 (3D globe), 70% of participants reported a paratelic state, with an average motivational activation score (T_PSI) of 45.15. In Case 2 (tectonic simulator), 100% of participants reported paratelic states, with a higher average T_PSI of 58.25. Statistical analysis (Student's t-test) confirmed significant differences in motivational activation between telic and paratelic groups, indicating that prototypes with higher sensory immersion and interactivity elicited stronger motivational responses. Findings demonstrate that playful prototypes act as mediators of learning, fostering enjoyment, exploration, and emotional engagement. They transform abstract scientific phenomena into accessible and stimulating experiences, reinforcing the importance of incorporating gamification elements and UX (user experience) design into educational innovation. The study highlights that paratelic states are strongly associated with enhanced student motivation, creativity, and willingness to engage with complex content. Limitations include the small sample size and logistical challenges of implementing prototypes in diverse educational contexts. Nevertheless, the results underscore the value of interdisciplinary collaboration between education and engineering faculties in developing scalable solutions. The study concludes that playful didactic prototypes represent a replicable strategy to enrich learning environments and support active methodologies. Future directions involve expanding prototype applications across disciplines, incorporating emerging technologies such as augmented reality, and developing didactic kits for widespread use in schools.

This article presents the results of an analysis of 558 empirical research articles on biology didactics published in two Spanish-language education journals (Revista Eureka sobre Enseñanza y Divulgación de las Ciencias and Enseñanza de las Ciencias) and four English-language science education journals (International Journal of Science Education, Journal of Research in Science Teaching, Research in Science Education, and Journal of Science Education and Technology) between 2010 and 2023. We found that the most frequently published topics were ecology, evolution, and human biology. Most studies were conducted in the secondary school context and focused on teaching strategies. Based on the results, we recognize areas that require further study, such as learning and teaching at the preschool level and in specific topics of cell biology and metabolism, as well as teacher training. Este artículo presenta los resultados de un análisis de 558 artículos de investigación empírica sobre didáctica de la biología publicados en dos revistas de educación en español (Revista Eureka sobre Enseñanza y Divulgación de las Ciencias y Enseñanza de las Ciencias) y cuatro revistas de educación científica en inglés (International Journal of Science Education, Journal of Research in Science Teaching, Research in Science Education y Journal of Science Education and Technology) entre 2010 y 2023. Encontramos que los contenidos con más publicaciones fueron ecología, evolución y biología humana. La mayoría de los estudios se llevaron a cabo en el contexto de escuela secundaria y se centraron en las estrategias de enseñanza. Teniendo en cuenta los resultados, se reconocen temas que necesitan más estudio, como el aprendizaje y enseñanza en el nivel preescolar y en temas específicos de biología celular y metabolismo, así como el tema de la formación de profesores. Este artigo apresenta os resultados de uma análise de 558 artigos de investigação empírica sobre o ensino da biologia publicados em duas revistas de educação científica em língua espanhola (Revista Eureka sobre Enseñanza y Divulgación de las Ciencias e Enseñanza de las Ciencias) e quatro revistas de educação científica em língua inglesa (International Journal of Science Education, Journal of Research in Science Teaching, Research in Science Education e Journal of Science Education and Technology) entre 2010 e 2023. Verificámos que os assuntos mais publicados foram a ecologia, a evolução e a biologia humana. A maioria dos estudos foi conduzida em ambientes de ensino secundário e focada em estratégias de ensino. Considerando os resultados, identificámos tópicos que necessitam de mais estudos, como a aprendizagem e o ensino ao nível pré-escolar e em tópicos específicos de biologia celular e metabolismo, bem como o tópico da formação de professores.