From Theory to Practice: Transforming Pedagogical Content Knowledge into Personal Practical Knowledge in EFL Contexts

Memari, Mehran

doi:10.22080/iselt.2026.30232.1140

From Theory to Practice: Transforming Pedagogical Content Knowledge into Personal Practical Knowledge in EFL Contexts

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Mehran Memari

Department of English Language Teaching, Farhangian University, Tehran, Iran

10.22080/iselt.2026.30232.1140

Abstract

This qualitative multiple case study investigates the underexplored process through which English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers transform theoretical Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) into Personal Practical Knowledge (PPK). Data collected via semi-structured interviews, stimulated recall sessions, and reflective journals from twelve in-service EFL teachers revealed that this transformation is a nonlinear, iterative process of adaptation. Thematic analysis identified four interconnected themes central to this development: (1) the pragmatic tailoring of theory to contextual constraints, (2) the critical mechanism of iterative reflection, (3) the strategic negotiation of technology, and (4) the ultimate consolidation of a confident teaching identity. The findings indicate that PPK is not a lesser form of knowledge but a sophisticated, personalized expertise developed through experiential learning and reflective practice. The study concludes that teacher education must shift from a transmission model of theory to one that deliberately fosters reflective practice, adaptive expertise, and professional agency, thereby effectively bridging the enduring theory-practice gap in teacher development.

Keywords

Main Subjects

Copyright © 2026 The Author(s). Published by the Faculty of Persian Literature and Foreign Languages at the University of Mazandaran. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) license.

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