Strategies improving pedagogical content knowledge of economic and management sciences of teachers in Lejweleputswa district

Abstract

This study investigates strategies for improving the pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) of Economic and Management Sciences (EMS) teachers in primary schools within the Lejweleputswa District, South Africa. Given EMS's foundational role in equipping learners with financial literacy and entrepreneurial skills, deficiencies in teacher PCK directly affect educational outcomes. Despite its curricular importance, EMS is often taught by underqualified teachers lacking specialised training, which negatively impacts learners’ comprehension and performance. The study addresses this critical educational challenge by examining the barriers EMS teachers face, including limited subject content knowledge, inadequate professional development, and resource constraints. The research is grounded in social constructivist theory and adopts a qualitative methodology within a transformative paradigm to explore contextual teaching experiences. Data were collected using focus group discussions, semi-structured face-to-face and telephone interviews with 11 participants, including EMS teachers, learners, a principal, and a learning facilitator. Purposive sampling was employed to select participants with direct instructional involvement in EMS at the Grade 7 level. Thematic analysis revealed four central themes: resource constraints, professional development and training, strategies for learner academic improvement, and learner support mechanisms. The key findings showed that professional learning communities, targeted CPD, mentorship, and collaborative teaching strategies significantly improved teacher efficacy. Teachers in structured peer training programmes reported higher confidence and better learner outcomes. Policy and practice are affected by these findings. The Department of Basic Education should prioritise EMS-focused teacher development and equitable instructional resource access. Additionally, school-based collaborative frameworks can sustain PCK improvement.