Enhancing pre-service teachers’ technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK): a mixed-method study

Abstract

The main aim of this two-step mixed-method study was to explore the effectiveness of the strategies used to prepare pre-service teachers for technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK). Specifically, we focused on the strategies included in the synthesis of qualitative evidence (SQD) model: (1) using teacher educators as role models, (2) reflecting on the role of technology in education, (3) learning how to use technology by design, (4) collaboration with peers, (5) scaffolding authentic technology experiences, and (6) providing continuous feedback. To explore the relation between the perceived occurrences of the SQD-strategies and TPACK (controlled for pre-service teachers’ general attitudes towards technology), survey data were collected from a sample of 688 final-year pre-service teachers in Belgium. In a next step, 16 telephone interviews and 6 in-depth interviews were conducted to gain a more in-depth insight into the nature of the 6 strategies and their influences on TPACK. The quantitative analyses indicated positive correlations between the SQD-strategies and TPACK, controlled for general attitudes towards technology. The findings from the qualitative analyses showed that teachers acknowledged the importance of the six strategies. However, the respondents emphasized that some of the six strategies are often underutilized. Based on the quantitative and qualitative results, the discussion provides recommendations to improve the potential of pre-service training to enhance future teachers’ TPACK.