Pedagogical Content Knowledge : A comparative study of Greek heritage language teachers in Sweden

Instructional quality is essential for student learning. Pedagogical Content Knowledge, which is considered the interim between knowledge and pedagogy has been found to have a positive impact on instructional quality and subsequently student achievement. Studies in Pedagogical Content Knowledge have been mainly targeted on mathematics and science, leaving the language education domain underrepresented. From a comparative perspective, this study investigated Greek heritage language teachers ́ Pedagogical Content Knowledge, taking into consideration their teaching experience. Data collected by interviews, undertaken by nine participants, showed that teachers employ their Pedagogical Content Knowledge mostly by adapting the material, instruction, and assessment to the individual needs of the students. The analysis also suggested differences between more and less experienced teachers. More experienced teachers were found to be more comfortable and autonomous in the classroom, while less experienced teachers mentioned feeling insecure and fearing unexpected situations. More experienced teachers also established more advanced Pedagogical Content Knowledge, because of their ability to connect the new information with previous knowledge of the students as well as using personalized assessment for students. The data also showed that heritage language teachers in Sweden face many challenges in their teaching, with heterogeneity in language proficiency being the most persistent. The implications suggested in this study aim to improve heritage language learning and developing a supportive system for teachers and students in order to avoid the language shift that is present threatens the vitality of heritage languages