Rethinking the language-teacher knowledge base: Exploring core pedagogical content competencies in Korean public secondary-school language teachers

In 2020, Donald Freeman revisited his influential 1998 work on the knowledge base of language teachers. He argued for a necessary reexamination of language teachers in today’s context. This reevaluation, according to him, is crucial to create new interpretations of the knowledge base that accurately reflect the changes driven by the field and work over the years. Attending to this call, this study explores the core pedagogical content competencies that Korean in-service secondary-school English teachers require in their job using a complex dynamic systems lens. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 15 in-service English language teachers and 15 language-teacher educators. The findings indicate that in-service teachers require a complex and dynamic ensemble of core pedagogical knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform well in their public-school classroom. The findings of this study build upon previous conceptualizations of the language-teacher knowledge base and contribute to a more nuanced and situated understanding of the pedagogical content competencies that in-service teachers require in their professional role.