Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) for Pedagogical Improvement: Editorial for Special Issue on TPACK

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Mishra and Koehler’s (2006) framework for technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) is one of the most well-received and widely researched theoretical frameworks for technology integration in the classrooms. Chai et al. (2013) recent review found that more than 70 articles about TPACK have been published between 2003 and 2011 within the Scopus database. A website dedicated to TPACK research (http://tpack.org/) has accumulated more than 450 articles. The SSCI-listed journals have also published 134 articles on TPACK as of May 2015. As an analytical and creative framework, TPACK research can potentially generate deeper knowledge construction about ICT integration among researchers and educators. It could be refined, expanded, and improved upon to account for more variables that shape, empower, or constrain the development of ICT use in education (Chai et al. 2013; Voogt et al. 2013). Building upon Shulman’s (1986) model for pedagogical content knowledge, Mishra and Koehler (2006) added the dimension of technological knowledge and demonstrated how various kinds of teacher knowledge can be derived from the integration of technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge. These integrated forms of knowledge are pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), technological content knowledge (TCK), technological pedagogical knowledge (TPK), and technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK). Together with technological knowledge (TK), pedagogical knowledge (PK), and content knowledge (CK), these seven kinds of knowledge make up the TPACK framework. While this framework provides specifications for the kinds of teacher knowledge involved during technology integration, how teachers, educators, and researchers can create more technological pedagogical content knowledge need to be further unpacked. Tee and Lee (2011) have aptly positioned generating TPACK as a knowledge creation endeavor and Kramarski and Michalsky (2010) have found it necessary to support pre-service teachers’ metacognitive self-regulation as they create TPACK through design. The creation of knowledge is a complex matter and coupled with the situated nature of TPACK (Mishra and Koehler 2006); further theorizing of the epistemic nature and processes involved in creating TPACK are needed. Specifically, the TPACK framework specifies what teachers need to integrate technology but not how the process can be improved (Cox and Graham 2009). On the other hand, there is much emphasis on the use of technology to support pedagogical improvements, especially the kinds of pedagogies that support students to foster twenty-first century competencies (ISTE 2007; P21, 2007). Voogt and Roblin (2012) have identified ICT-based learning as a common element across all twenty-first century learning frameworks they have reviewed. ICT could be used as a cognitive tool, metacognitive tool, and epistemic tool to support critical thinking, creative and inventive thinking and authentic problem solving, which are also common elements of twenty-first century learning. Yet, there is still a lack of understanding about how the seven TPACK constructs are being applied by teachers as they formulate technology-integrated lessons to promote twenty-first century learning & Joyce Hwee Ling Koh joyce.koh@nie.edu.sg