Latent Profiles of Korean Preschool Teachers Three Facets of Pedagogical Content Knowledge in Early Mathematics

Existing research primarily focused on only one aspect of preschool teachers pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) in early mathematics. With a person-centered approach, this study identified profiles of preschool teachers by three facets of PCK, which include (1) content knowledge in mathematics within teacher-directed instruction, (2) teachers sensitivity to mathematics during children s play, and (3) the complexity of math questions. A total of 148 Korean classroom teachers nested in 40 preschools were provided with a play-like scenario where they need to recognize mathematical concepts and effective questioning strategies during children s play. Findings from Latent Profile Analysis indicated that the three facets of PCK in early mathematics are distinct sets of knowledge and skills that are qualitatively different. This finding calls for more intervention research on supporting Korean preschool teachers’ multifaceted PCK in early mathematics.