Subject matter and related pedagogical knowledge in teacher education

What kinds of knowledge do teachers need in order to be effective in their classrooms? This question has received much attention recently. This paper outlines a framework for teachers' knowledge, consisting of six major categories, namely: general liberal education, personal performance, subject matter, general pedagogical, subject matter specific pedagogical, and foundations of the teaching profession. Suggestions are provided on ways in which three of the categories, subject matter knowledge, general pedagogical knowledge, and subject matter specific pedagogical knowledge can be dealt with in teacher education, especially at the preservice stage. These suggestions are based on actual courses which have been taught in various countries. The outcomes of one such course, which was taught and supervised by the author, are reported in terms of the students' perceptions of the knowledge they have acquired.