If we want students to develop deep understanding, we need to continually develop our own understanding of the subjects we teach. In the Great Teaching Toolkit: Evidence Review, Element 1.1 highlights the importance of teachers having deep and fluent knowledge, alongside a flexible understanding of their subject.

Strong subject knowledge is about more than knowing the facts. It is about understanding the concepts, connections, and underlying structure of what we teach so that we can make confident decisions in the classroom.

What the research says…

The Great Teaching Toolkit: Evidence Review draws on research that distinguishes between two main types of teacher knowledge:

Content knowledge refers to a teacher’s understanding of the subject itself: the theories, concepts, principles, and the relationships between them.

Pedagogical content knowledge is the knowledge of how to teach that content effectively, including selecting explanations, examples, and representations that help students understand. It also relies on knowledge of how to appropriately sequence the content for learners.

Teachers with strong content knowledge are better able to:

• Make connections between concepts, helping students see how ideas relate within and across topics.
• Ask and answer questions with confidence, including the ‘why?’ and ‘what if?’ questions that deepen understanding.
• Model expert thinking and outcomes, solving problems accurately and demonstrating the knowledge and skills they expect students to develop.

Conclusions from the research…

“Teachers need more than factual knowledge of their subject. Effective teaching depends on understanding how ideas connect, how knowledge is organised, and why concepts matter” (Shulman, 1986). 

“Strong subject knowledge enables teachers to make better professional judgements, respond flexibly to students’ thinking, and support deeper understanding” (Ball et al., 2008).

Signs you might want to work on content knowledge

Teaching a new topic, year group, or subject can remind us just how important strong content knowledge is. Developing this type of expertise is an ongoing part of teaching, no matter how experienced we are.

You might notice that:

• You stick closely to lesson plans or textbooks to explain concepts
• Students ask “why?” questions that are difficult to answer confidently
• It is challenging to explain the same idea in different ways
• You find yourself avoiding extending discussions beyond the planned lesson
• You feel less confident teaching particular concepts or units

These can be signs that strengthening your own understanding of the subject could help you respond more flexibly and create richer learning opportunities.

Strategies to consider

1. Reflection

Developing strong content knowledge starts with reflecting on your own understanding. Teaching often reveals the areas where our subject knowledge could become deeper. As you plan and teach, consider where there are opportunities to strengthen your understanding.

Reflect on your practice:

• Notice the concepts you find most difficult to explain.
• Make a note of the questions students ask that challenge your thinking.
• Reflect on whether students understood the underlying concepts, not just the procedure.
• Identify topics you feel less confident teaching and prioritise them for your own learning.

Treat moments of uncertainty as opportunities for professional learning. Every teacher continues to develop their content knowledge throughout their career.

2. Collaboration

Talking about subject content with colleagues can deepen your own understanding and expose you to different ways of thinking about the same concepts.

Collaborate with colleagues:

• Plan upcoming units together and discuss the key concepts students need to understand.
• Share explanations, examples, and model answers.
• Discuss the “why?” questions students might ask and how you would respond.
• Reflect together after lessons about which concepts students found most challenging.

Use collaborative planning to deepen subject understanding, not just divide up lesson preparation.

3. Preparation

Strong content knowledge begins long before the lesson. Taking time to explore the structure of a topic can help you teach with greater confidence and flexibility.

Prepare with purpose:

• Identify the big ideas and key concepts within a topic.
• Consider how new learning connects to prior and future learning.
• Complete tasks yourself before teaching them, exploring different solutions and methods.
• Join your subject association to access high-quality reading, professional guidance, curriculum updates, and subject-specific learning materials.

Preparation is about more than planning activities The goal is to deepen your own understanding so you can respond confidently to students’ thinking.

Strong content knowledge is not something we acquire once; it is something we continue to develop throughout our careers. By making time to reflect, collaborate, and prepare with purpose, we can deepen our understanding of the subjects we teach and build the confidence to respond flexibly to students’ thinking.

Ultimately, great teaching is not just about knowing the curriculum; it is about developing the expertise to bring it to life for every learner.

You can explore these concepts in more depth through our Dimension 1 resources within the Great Teaching Toolkit. You can also gather feedback from students and colleagues while accessing hundreds of practical resources and classroom techniques to support your practice.

Not a GTT member? Book call with us to see what the Great Teaching Toolkit and what it can do for you!

References

Ball, D. L., Thames, M. H., & Phelps, G. (2008). Content knowledge for teaching. Journal of Teacher Education, 59(5), 389–407. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022487108324554

Coe, R., Rauch, C. J., Kime, S., & Singleton, D. (2020). Evidence Based Education. Great Teaching Toolkit: Evidence review. https://evidencebased.education/the-great-teaching-toolkit-evidence-review/

Shulman, L. S. (1986). Those who understand: Knowledge growth in teaching. Educational Researcher, 15(2), 4–14. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X015002004