This thematic section brings together five studies that address, from different disciplines and Latin American and Iberian contexts, Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) —or Conocimiento Didáctico del Contenido (CDC)— as a central category for understanding how science teachers transform, following a process of reasoning and decision-making, professional knowledge and skills that help a group of students understand an idea, a set of concepts, or an aspect of a discipline. The papers engage in dialogue with one another by drawing on different theoretical frameworks and methodological tools from the field: from the refined consensus model to the complexity hypothesis, as well as the mapping of PCK components, semantic networks, the use of progression hypotheses, and pentagon diagrams to analyze its coherence and evolution.
Together, these studies encompass case studies with in-service and pre-service teachers in Biology (cell, taxon, homeostasis, sustainable development), Biotechnology, Chemistry (aqueous systems), and Physics (Ohm's law), exploring both the increasing complexity of PCK representations among experienced teachers and its progressive construction within learning communities and initial and continuing teacher education pathways. The articles demonstrate methodological advances for capturing the dynamic, situated, and relational nature of PCK, while also identifying remaining challenges. The section thus offers an up-to-date overview of research trends on PCK/CDC in science education across the region.
Co-editors:
Dr. Gonzalo M.A. Bermudez, National University of Córdoba–CONICET (Argentina)
Dr. Eduardo Ravanal Moreno, Universidad Santo Tomás (Chile)
Dr. Guillermo Fonseca, Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas (Colombia)
