Pedagogical Content Knowledge of Secondary Chemistry Teachers

This qualitative descriptive study examined how secondary chemistry teachers demonstrate pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) and how the resulting profile can inform professional development. Eleven of 13 chemistry teachers in La Paz District, Schools Division of Agusan del Sur, met the inclusion criteria and participated. Data from an open-ended PCK questionnaire and focus group discussions were analyzed thematically; a supplementary seven-point self-assessment checklist was used descriptively to contextualize the qualitative evidence. Teachers reported checking prior knowledge, using diagrams, models, analogies, demonstrations, simulations, and familiar examples, aligning lessons with curriculum competencies, and using questioning, feedback, and reteaching. Stronger accounts connected a specific student difficulty with a chemistry representation, an instructional adjustment, and evidence of subsequent understanding. Development needs centered on more precise diagnosis of misconceptions, explicit movement among macroscopic, submicroscopic, and symbolic representations, contextualized planning under resource constraints, and clearer documentation of how assessment evidence changes instruction. The checklist was generally positive (overall item-weighted mean = 6.32), with Chemistry Content Representation lowest among the reported domain means (6.20); these self-ratings were interpreted as supplementary rather than as verified proficiency. The findings support sustained, chemistry-specific professional development organized around collaborative lesson design, diagnostic assessment, feasible practical work, coaching, classroom application, reflection, and revision.