Disciplinary and Substantive Knowledge

This article was updated in October 2024 to include new definitions and examples.

Learning is a change to long-term memory, and everything in long-term memory is knowledge. Knowledge, in turn, can be categorised in several ways, with one of the most common categorisations involving three key types: procedural, semantic, and episodic knowledge. Each type of knowledge serves a different purpose in education, but they often work in tandem to support the learning process.

Procedural, Semantic, and Episodic Knowledge

Procedural Knowledge

Procedural knowledge refers to "knowing how"—it’s about the processes and steps required to perform tasks. In an educational context, this might include skills such as solving equations, decoding words using phonics, or performing physical tasks in PE. The goal of procedural knowledge is to achieve procedural fluency, which enables students to carry out tasks smoothly and accurately over time. For example, decoding a word by applying phonetic rules is procedural knowledge, as is mastering a set of moves in gymnastics.

In lower KS2 maths, procedural knowledge could be demonstrated when students use step-by-step processes for solving arithmetic problems, such as long division or multiplication. This type of knowledge is embedded in practice, repetition, and refining techniques to reach automaticity in skill performance.

Semantic Knowledge

Semantic knowledge is "knowing that"—it involves learning facts and understanding how they relate to other facts. For example, learning that 5 plus 5 equals 10 is a fact, but it becomes semantic knowledge when a learner connects it to the concept of quantity and the meaning of addition. The goal of semantic knowledge is to build schemas, which are clusters of related information that help learners make sense of the world around them.

In geography lessons, for example, a student might learn that the Earth has seven continents. This isolated fact becomes part of a larger schema when the student understands how continents are categorised, their geographical features, and their relationship to each other on a map.

For KS1 students in art, semantic knowledge could involve recognising and naming primary colours. As they progress into lower KS2, their schema would expand to include secondary colours and an understanding of colour theory, such as warm and cool tones.

Episodic Knowledge

Episodic knowledge refers to learning from experience. It's the memory of the events and activities where we acquire procedural and semantic knowledge. Episodic knowledge is highly contextual and personal, such as recalling the experience of conducting a science experiment or remembering the sequence of events during a historical re-enactment. The aim of episodic knowledge is to provide a rich context for learning procedural and semantic knowledge.

For instance, upper KS2 history students might learn about the Battle of Hastings by participating in a re-enactment. The episode itself—the experience of acting out roles, and discussing strategy—helps embed procedural and semantic knowledge related to the event, making the learning more effective.  This is an important aspect of embodied cognition.

Substantive and Disciplinary Knowledge

Two crucial subsets of procedural and semantic knowledge—particularly helpful when considering curriculum subjects—are substantive knowledge and disciplinary knowledge. These represent more academic approaches to knowledge categorisation and provide a clear framework for teaching different subjects.

Substantive Knowledge: Established Facts

Substantive knowledge is the collection of established facts within a subject. It's the content that students need to know. For example, in science, substantive knowledge includes facts like "the Earth is the planet on which we live" or "water is made of hydrogen and oxygen." In history, it's the facts about significant events, such as the date of the Great Fire of London.

Substantive knowledge is content-driven and focused on what we know. It's the "what" of a subject, providing the foundational knowledge needed to understand the world.

• In KS1 geography, substantive knowledge might involve learning the names of the four seasons and understanding that the Earth orbits the Sun.
• In lower KS2 science, students might learn that plants produce oxygen through photosynthesis.
• By upper KS2 history, substantive knowledge would include learning about key figures like Queen Victoria or significant periods like the Industrial Revolution.

Disciplinary Knowledge: Methods and Concepts

Disciplinary knowledge is the "how" of learning within a subject. It's not just the facts, but the methods, theories, concepts, and perspectives that are unique to a particular academic discipline. In essence, disciplinary knowledge involves learning how experts in a subject field think, question, and build knowledge. This could include learning how scientists use experiments to test hypotheses or how historians use evidence to construct narratives about the past.

Disciplinary knowledge equips students to think like a subject specialist. For example:

• In KS1 art, students might be introduced to disciplinary knowledge by learning how to mix primary colours to create new hues, engaging with the methods artists use to explore and create.
• In lower KS2 geography, students could use maps and learn how geographers interpret spatial data, understanding how to apply key skills like using a compass or reading topographical features.
• For upper KS2 history, disciplinary knowledge might involve learning how to analyse historical sources, understanding the difference between primary and secondary sources, and considering how historians build arguments based on evidence.

Examples of Substantive and Disciplinary Knowledge Across Subjects

Here are examples based on the national curriculum for England, drawing from the categories we discussed earlier.

Art

KS1: Substantive knowledge includes identifying primary colours. Disciplinary knowledge involves understanding how to mix these colours to create secondary colours.

Lower KS2: Substantive knowledge includes recognising different forms of art such as painting, sculpture, and drawing. Disciplinary knowledge involves exploring techniques artists use, like brushwork or shading, and experimenting with these methods.

Upper KS2: Substantive knowledge might include learning about key artists and their work (e.g. Van Gogh’s Starry Night). Disciplinary knowledge could involve understanding how different movements in art history (e.g. Impressionism) challenged traditional perspectives and applying some of these approaches to students’ own work.

PE

KS1: Substantive knowledge includes learning fundamental movements like running, jumping, and throwing. Disciplinary knowledge involves learning how to sequence these movements to create a short routine or performance.

Lower KS2: Substantive knowledge could include the rules of games such as football or netball. Disciplinary knowledge would extend to understanding tactics and strategies, such as how to position oneself on the field for effective teamwork.

Upper KS2: Substantive knowledge might involve understanding complex physical skills such as dribbling in basketball. Disciplinary knowledge could focus on applying strategy, using body awareness and spatial positioning to anticipate opponents' movements in a game.

History

KS1: Substantive knowledge might include learning simple timelines or key events such as the Great Fire of London. Disciplinary knowledge would involve understanding how historians use artefacts and evidence to piece together these historical events.

Lower KS2: Substantive knowledge could include learning about the Roman Empire. Disciplinary knowledge might involve learning how to interpret different types of historical evidence, such as archaeological findings versus written records.

Upper KS2: Substantive knowledge might cover topics such as the World Wars. Disciplinary knowledge involves learning how to critically analyse sources, asking questions like "Whose perspective is this?" or "What evidence supports this interpretation?"

Conclusion

In understanding how knowledge is structured and used, distinguishing between procedural, semantic, and episodic knowledge offers a solid foundation. However, it’s the academic model of substantive and disciplinary knowledge that truly empowers students to engage with their subjects at a deeper level. By knowing not just what we know but also how that knowledge is developed, students become more skilled in thinking, questioning, and applying their learning in meaningful ways. This structured approach is key to fostering independent, critical thinkers who can succeed across the curriculum.

 For a FREE set of examples of disciplinary and substantive knowledge in Geography, click here.

If you would like to find out more about integrating disciplinary and Substantive Knowledge within your curriculum check out our On-Demand course here.