Pre-service foreign language teachers’ TPACK preparation for technology integration: what are the profiles and key drivers?

Abstract

ABSTRACT Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) denotes teachers’ professional knowledge to teach specific subjects in the age of information and communication technology. Though the TPACK framework has received extensive research attention in the educational technology field, little effort has been devoted to the profiles of TPACK and technology integration from an intraindividual perspective. Also, the role of TPACK in facilitating technology integration needs more comprehensive exploration before it offers greater theoretical contributions to directing foreign language teacher education. This study explored the profiles of TPACK and technology integration intention using latent profile analysis (LPA) with a sample of 474 pre-service Chinese-as-a-foreign-language (CFL) teachers. The roles of each TPACK component in facilitating technology integration intentions were also examined based on comparative structural equation modelling (SEM) analyses that account for the integrative and transformative views of TPACK. The results provided both person-centred and variable-centred evidence on the contribution of TPACK in preparing teachers’ technology integration. The importance of technology-related knowledge in fostering TPACK has been highlighted, while TK and TPCK were found to be essential dimensions that influenced teachers’ technology integration intention. The findings offer significant implications for future language teacher education to promote technology-integrated instruction through TPACK preparation.