Epistemic network analysis

This chapter presents a quantitative study of pre-service teachers’ practical knowledge. Using epistemic network analysis, the online learning outcomes of 150 pre-service teachers majoring in primary education at a normal university were analysed. The nexus of knowledge content and knowledge skills constructs a new analytical lens of pre-service teachers’ practical knowledge. It was found that pre-service teachers have a better cognition of children than of the educative meanings of teaching. Meanwhile, they used more interpretive methods than application or analytical methods when teaching. Male pre-service teachers displayed a more flexible mindset than females. Pre-service teachers with greater academic achievement performed better in terms of the comprehensiveness of their knowledge and analysis. This chapter focuses on pre-service teachers’ higher-level thinking, which enables them to perform authentic problem solving in their professional work.