The Relationship Between the Pedagogical Content Knowledge, Achievement Motivation toward Students’ Preferences of Physics among Teachers in Oman

Abstract

This study aimed to elucidate the relationship between the Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK), and Achievement Motivation (AM) in relation to students’ Preferences for Physics (SPP) among teachers in Oman. Additionally, the study aimed to investigate whether Am mediates the relationships between the independent variables. The sample of this study consisted of (523) male and female science teachers from all governorates of Oman. The study followed a quantitative method design and was analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The findings revealed that significant relationships existed between the PCK and SPP. Meanwhile, the gender and specialization of respondents were found to have a significant moderating effect on the relationship between PCK and SPP. This study also concluded that the gender and specialization of the respondents were found not to have a significant moderating effect on the relationship between PCK and SPP. On the other hand, the teaching experience was found to have a significant moderating effect on the relationship between the PCK and SPP. The relationship between PCK and SPP was successfully modelled and represented as the relationship between pedagogical content knowledge and students' preference of physics in Physics Education. The relationship provides significant and valuable contributions to theoretical, methodological, educational practice, and knowledge in the field of physics education research in the Sultanate of Oman. The implications of this study suggest that the relationship can be used to determine the quality of understanding the pedagogical content knowledge based on the teachers' achievement motivation in the students' preference of physics.