TPACK, Instructional Competence, and Teachers’ Attitude toward Internet Use: A Structural Equation Model in Readiness to Teach Online in Filipino

Abstract

Aim: To investigate the best-fit model for teachers' readiness in online teaching using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to analyze the relationship between TPACK, instructional competence, and teachers' attitudes toward internet use.
 Study Design: Quantitative Causal Analysis.
 Place and Duration of Study: Region XII, Philippines, during the second semester 2022.
 Methodology: The stratified random sampling technique was utilized using Raosoft Application to select the 674 college teachers from various colleges and universities in Region XII. An expert-validated and pilot-tested survey questionnaire was used to collect the data. Moreover, statistical tools used for the study were mean, which described the levels of the variables; Standard Deviation (SD), which measured the dispersion of a frequency distribution; Multiple Regression, which identified significant predictors of readiness to teach online; and Pearson Product Moment correlation Coefficient, which determined the relationship of the variables. The Structural Equation Model (SEM) was also used to analyze multiple variables and their relationships.
 Results: The level of TPACK among teachers was very high, but compared to other exogenous variables, it was the lowest, which indicates that teachers are not fully proficient. Moreover, teachers' instructional competence level was very high, which implies that the variables were often observed among teachers. It also showed a significant relationship between the TPACK, instructional competence, and Attitude toward internet use toward readiness to teach online. The Attitude toward internet use and instructional competence influenced teachers' readiness to teach online, while TPACK did not influence teachers' willingness to teach online. Model 5 had consistent indices among the five investigated models and indicated the best fit for the data. The goodness of fit result was highly acceptable, as all the indices met the specified standards against the obtained fit value of the model.
 Conclusion: Teachers' levels of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) are low, suggesting they still need to be fully adept at using technology in the classroom. To improve readiness for online teaching, it is essential to consider teachers' attitudes toward internet use and TPACK integration into professional development programs. Model 5 offered the greatest fit for the data, suggesting authorities should take instructors' TPACK into account for training and knowledge updates in integrating technology into 21st-century teaching.