Abstract
The purpose of this study was to explore the Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK)
of Grade 10 English teachers in multilingual classrooms. Three English teachers were
purposefully selected using sampling techniques, as they taught in the Further
Education and Training phase (FET) phase and had more than four years of teaching
experience. This qualitative study was underpinned by a constructivist approach as its
theoretical framework. As a case study, data was collected through classroom
observations and interviews with both teachers and learners.
The findings revealed that all three teachers demonstrated adequate understanding
of PCK in teaching narrative essay writing. Furthermore, the study highlighted the
teachers’ display of content and pedagogical knowledge in their classrooms, although
their ability to incorporate a structured writing approach was limited. Teachers showed
an understanding of learners’ prior knowledge and potential misconceptions. Their
pedagogical knowledge was evident in their selection of effective teaching strategies
and appropriate essay topics for writing activities. However, all three teachers primarily
relied on direct teaching as their dominant instructional strategy, leaving minimal room
for other teaching approaches. Additionally, the study found that teachers had limited
access to teaching resources to support their lessons. Moreover, the learners’
perspectives on essay writing revealed that their writing experiences are influenced by
teachers’ pedagogies.
The results further indicated that learners were able to draw from their teachers’
knowledge in constructing a narrative essay. They demonstrated their pre-existing
knowledge, actively engaged in classroom discussions, asked and responded to
questions, and expressed their understanding through writing exercises. Lastly, the
study offers recommendations for further research in this area.