Pre-service teachers' professional knowledge development of phonological awareness through constructivist learning engagements

This case study is an investigation of pre-service teachers' development of professional knowledge relative to phonological awareness. An effort to gain insight into two research questions was undertaken. 1. What differences are evident in pre-service teachers' knowledge about phonemic awareness and phonics before and after instruction? 2. What is the nature of the in-class engagements about phonemic awareness and phonics that pre-service teachers find influential?;Pre-service teacher participants were those who enrolled in a literacy foundations course in a midwestern university and are education majors. Pre-service teachers' phonological awareness knowledge was assessed through a pre- and postassessment. In-class engagements were constructivist-based and addressed phonological awareness concepts. Pre-service teachers completed these engagements after receiving classroom instruction of phonological awareness concepts. Feedback forms were also completed after in-class engagements. Feedback forms provided information regarding pre-service teachers' self-perceived learning, elements of the engagement they viewed as helpful to their learning, and what they would change to enhance their learning.;Data suggest approximately half of the sixty-two pre-service teachers who completed the post-assessment demonstrate some of the features of expertise regarding phonological awareness knowledge. Their knowledge, as sufficient in extent and basic in quality suggests their knowledge is growing fluent and organized. The remaining half have gained some knowledge of phonological awareness, however, their knowledge is incomplete. Extent of knowledge is limited and quality of knowledge is inadequate suggesting these students' knowledge is not growing towards expertise at this point in time.;Key Words: pre-service teachers; professional knowledge development; phonological awareness; phonemic awareness; phonics.