Vol.:(0123456789) 1 3 ZDM https://doi.org/10.1007/s11858-019-01103-2 ORIGINAL ARTICLE Mathematical pedagogical content knowledge of early childhood teachers: a standardized situation‑related measurement approach Hedwig Gasteiger 1  · Julia Bruns 2  · Christiane Benz 3  · Esther Brunner 4  · Priska Sprenger 3 Accepted: 12 October 2019 © FIZ Karlsruhe 2019 Abstract Measurement instruments of early childhood teachers’ mathematical pedagogical content knowledge (MPCK) have to con- sider the special characteristics of early childhood teaching. Early childhood teaching includes some planned activities but in contrast to learning in school, it is often motivated and generated by situations which unfold spontaneously in play and everyday activities. Therefore, and to respect that early childhood teachers as experts in their feld may fail to explain their knowledge explicitly but indeed show implicit knowledge in their daily work, a measurement approach related to concrete situations seems to be suitable. While there are qualitative MPCK interview-instruments following this approach, there is still a lack of standardized instruments suitable for large-scale studies. As a frst proposal to approach this gap, we developed a paper–pencil test with multiple-choice items measuring MPCK, and respecting early childhood teachers’ implicit knowl- edge. The test is based on descriptions of four typical kindergarten situations. Linked to each situation, we developed a set of items measuring professional knowledge concerning mathematical abilities of children and two multiple-choice items measuring professional knowledge of adaptive mathematical learning activities. The 39 items were piloted with a sample (N = 149) of pre- and in-service early childhood teachers. The results show validity evidence related to the test content, response processes, the internal structure of the test, as well as convergent evidence. Therefore, the test provides a suitable frst approach to measure early childhood teachers’ MPCK, while addressing their implicit knowledge. Keywords Mathematical pedagogical content knowledge · Early childhood teachers · Implicit knowledge · Tacit knowledge · Early mathematics education · Kindergarten 1 Introduction Early mathematics education often has a less formal charac- ter than learning in school. To guarantee that children beneft from these more informal mathematical learning situations, early childhood teachers need specifc knowledge. Moreo- ver, they need situation-related skills to analyze children’s mathematical development, to create mathematical learning environments, and to give adaptive support in these natural learning settings (Ginsburg et al. 2008; van Oers 2010). In previous research to date, diferent approaches have been used to measure early childhood teachers’ competence, believed to be necessary to implement mathematics educa- tion fruitfully. Most studies adapt the concept of professional knowledge (Shulman 1986)—consequently they distinguish, inter alia, mathematical content knowledge (MCK) and mathematical pedagogical content knowledge (MPCK)—,or they refer to other approaches to teacher competence (e.g., Lindmeier 2011), and adapt them to the early childhood con- text (Dunekacke et al. 2015; Lindmeier et al. 2016; McCray 2008; McCray and Chen 2012; Smith 2000). Moreover, it is emphasized that teaching mathematics in kindergarten needs knowledge and skills that difer from knowledge and skills needed for teaching mathematics in school (Gasteiger and Benz 2018a, b). In particular, encouraging mathemati- cal learning processes spontaneously, afords specifc situa- tion-related skills. Therefore, it is necessary to conceptualize * Hedwig Gasteiger hedwig.gasteiger@uni-osnabrueck.de 1 Universität Osnabrück, Albrechtstraße 28a, 49076 Osnabrück, Germany 2 Universität Paderborn, Warburgerstraße 100, 33098 Paderborn, Germany 3 PH Karlsruhe, Bismarckstr. 10, 76133 Karlsruhe, Germany 4 PH Thurgau, Unterer Schulweg 3, 8280 Kreuzlingen, Switzerland