A review of empirical research on pedagogical content knowledge in EFL and ESL contexts (2015–2024)

This study reviews the literature on Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) research with a focus on English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and English as a Second Language (ESL) teaching. It aims to identify how researchers investigate EFL and ESL teachers’ PCK. Despite extensive study in mathematics and science education, PCK research in EFL and ESL contexts remains limited. This study reviewed literature on EFL/ESL education published between 2015 and 2024. The literature was sourced from four databases: ERIC, PsycInfo, Web of Science, and Scopus. For each reviewed paper, five aspects are identified and analysed: (1) the research context, (2) the research focus and methods, (3) the conceptualization of PCK, (4) the data sources used to investigate teachers’ PCK, and (5) the approaches used to determine PCK. This study identifies key issues in EFL/ESL PCK research and highlights several gaps in the field. These include a lack of cross-country studies, cross-subject research, and large-scale assessment tools. Additionally, there is a need for more longitudinal studies and research on the interactions among PCK components and the development of interactions. The findings of these potential studies may offer valuable insights into improving teacher education programs and classroom practices by addressing these gaps and issues.