The Summary Journal 9

Improving Technological Pedagogical Content and Knowledge (TPACK) of Pre-Service English Language Teachers

Source: International Education Studies, Vol. 9, No. 5, 2016

By Ceylan Yangın Ersanlı

Department of Foreign Languages, Faculty of Education, Ondokuz Mayıs University, Samsun, Turkey

Teaching and learning is defined as a complex activity that draws on many kinds of knowledge (Mishra & Koehler, 2006, p. 1020). In the past, teaching and learning environment is defined as an intersection of two main domains; pedagogical and content knowledge (PCK). The idea was first proposed by Schulman (1986). PCK refers to the unique form of professional knowledge that teachers possess in making the content knowledge accessible to the students through some pedagogical methods (Chai, Koh, & Tsai, 2013). Today, with the effects of educational technologies, Shulman’s idea is built on by adding a new technology component. With the emergence of technological, pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK) technology-supported courses have gained priority. In very broad terms TPACK can be defined as a framework which synthesizes digital technologies into classroom teaching and learning. The core components of TPACK are content knowledge (CK), pedagogical knowledge (PK), and the technological knowledge (TK). These three basic forms of knowledge have overlapping parts namely; pedagogical content knowledge (PCK), technological content knowledge (TCK), technological pedagogical knowledge (TPK) and the TPACK.

Though many teachers do not ignore possible benefits of using digital resources to help students’ academic achievement, several studies indicate teachers may be reluctant to use or integrate technology to support their classes (Conlon & Simpson, 2003; Cuban, 2001; Watson, 2001). Among several reasons, not knowing how to effectively use technology can be cited as a major cause. Knowledge about technology is complex and dynamic. The ever-changing nature of technology requires constant up dating. Staying current might be time consuming for teachers. Yet, it is inevitable for teachers to acquire TPACK. To this end, a constructivist approach is thought to be effective in that knowledge is constructed through interactive experiences with the world and others. A perspective assuming experience as a necessary condition for the acquisition of knowledge might infer that training and workshop sessions help pre-service teachers acquire and improve TPACK.

This study aims to explore the effectiveness of a five-week workshop and training sessions on Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) of pre-service English language teachers. The study employed a mixed design involving qualitative and quantitative research methods. The participants of the study were 59 pre-service teachers in an English Language Teacher Training Program in a state university.

The results indicate a statistically significant improvement of TPACK scores both male and female pre-service English language teachers. The journal entries clearly indicate an increase in several possible applications or websites that can be used in the classroom with more effective and to the point objectives. The pre-service English teachers have also displayed better performance in manufacturing and tailoring language learning/teaching materials with specific goals.