Revisiting the origin of, and reflections on the future of, pedagogical content knowledge

More than 35 years have passed since Shulman introduced the term “pedagogical content knowledge” [PCK] to the field of teacher education. As is the case with any new construct in a field, Shulman's advocacy for PCK in the mid-1980s was almost certainly a reaction to the priorities of the field at that time. A primary goal of this paper is to refresh our collective memories of the origins of and development of PCK as a research domain, with a particular focus on what may have prompted scholars such as Shulman to propose the construct of PCK in 1986. With this historical lens as background, I also seek to consider what might be fruitful future directions in the field's thinking about teaching and teacher knowledge.