Page 9 - Mini-Module 12

2. Construction of substantive knowledge

In Liberal Studies, teachers’ substantive knowledge denotes the ability
to understand the curriculum by analyzing the components of the
content and their intriguing relationships, the assumptions and the key
concepts involved. In an issue‐enquiry, substantive knowledge guides
teachers to select appropriate issues for enquiry and develop
conceptual frameworks guiding the focus of enquiry. The selection of
issues gives substantive structures to the content of study where
instruction looks to the complex problems that are close to real life.
Taking this stance, instead of simplifying an issue, the teacher
facilitates the problem‐solving procedures by constructing a
conceptual framework to present a holistic picture of the problem.
Components of the problem and the intriguing relationships are
generated in the conceptual framework, together with hierarchies or
networks of concepts, concept attributes / cognitive constructs, and
key problems to be solved. This holistic picture about the complexity of
the knowledge and skill involved will then guide the instructional
design that enables students to construct the knowledge to make
relationships, to analyze from multi‐perspectives, to create and to
solve problems.

Taken together, Liberal Studies teachers with insufficient substantive
knowledge of the curriculum may find it difficult to understand the
components of the content and their intriguing relationships, the
assumptions and the key concepts involved. Without a clear
understanding of the curriculum, it would be hard for teachers to
design the conceptual frameworks, the scope of enquiry, and then the
learning situations for students to construct knowledge from
multi‐perspectives. In applying the issue‐enquiry approach in
classroom teaching, the construction of knowledge and the learning of
skills cannot be separated. However, this is likely to appear when
teachers fail to design appropriate learning situations. Knowledge
construction is hard to realize, and even worse, rote learning and
senseless memorization may occur.

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