An Investigation of Pre-service Teachers' Curriculum Expertise in Terms of Pedagogical Knowledge and Educational Beliefs

Abstract

This study examined the associations between pre-service teachers' pedagogical knowledge and skills and their educational beliefs within the framework of curriculum expertise. Using a quantitative approach with descriptive and correlational survey models, researchers collected data from 403 pre-service teachers who volunteered through the Educational Beliefs Scale and the Pedagogical Knowledge and Skills Scale. The results were analyzed using Spearman's rho and Kruskal–Wallis H tests. Participants predominantly identified with Existentialist (56.6%) and Progressivist (22.6%) educational beliefs, while Essentialist beliefs were least represented (3.2%). Significant positive correlations (r = .41–.54, p < .001) were found between pedagogical competencies and Progressivism, Existentialism, Reconstructionism, and Perennialism. Conversely, no significant relationship emerged between Essentialist beliefs and pedagogical competencies. Reconstructionists exhibited the highest scores in pedagogical knowledge and skills, while Essentialists scored the lowest. The findings suggest that contemporary, student-centered beliefs foster curriculum expertise more effectively than traditional orientations. A notable gap remains in curriculum implementation research regarding the interaction between philosophical orientations and pedagogical skills. The study recommends that teacher education programs incorporate reflective activities to align candidates' beliefs with contemporary pedagogical requirements, thereby enhancing their curriculum expertise.