Tracing the Development of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) in Education: A Literature Review

Ayoub C Kafyulilo

University of Twente

Introduction

Technology integration in education is currently receiving a great attention from various stakeholders in education worldwide. Both developed and developing nations currently striving to have ICT integrated in the teaching and learning process. This innovation in education requires teachers’ knowledge and readiness to integrate technology in their teaching. According to Fullan (2003), education changes depend on what teachers “think” and “do”. In the situation where teachers do not appreciate the new innovation and have limited knowledge and skills for implementing the new educational innovations, the resulting outcomes are likely to be unwelcoming. Given these facts, previous scholars on education reforms and innovation have paid a significant attention to the development of teachers’ knowledge to fit on the required innovations. Example Shulman (1986, 1987) insisted on the importance of teachers understanding of the pedagogy and content for effective teaching profession. Also during the emergence of the need to integrate technology in education, Koehler & Mishra (2005) and Niess (2005) considered the importance of teachers’ knowledge of technology, pedagogy and content. According to Kohler & Mishra (2005), Mishra & Koehler (2006) and Niess, (2005, 2006) for teachers to effectively integrate technology in their teaching, they need to develop an understanding of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPCK).

Commonwealth of Learning - Mobile Learning in Developing Countries

Commonwealth of Learning - Mobile Learning in Developing Countries

Seven Golden rules for technology use

In her Facebook page, Petra Fisser has shared a link about golden rules for using technology in schools. When I went through these rules I reflected my schools, colleges and all learning institutions in Tanzania. I realized that we are always making mistakes; from the placement of technology to the use. Read more on this link: http://mindshift.kqed.org/2011/07/the-seven-golden-rules-of-using-technology-in-schools/

How Technology affects Students Achievements

UNESCO Evaluation Shows Student Achievement Increases by Combining Professional Learning, Compelling Interactive Digital Content and Technology in the Classroom

A Dell-developed, 18-month evaluation conducted by UNESCO shows 20 percent increase in middle school students' math performance.
SAO PAULO & ROUND ROCK, Texas, Jun 24, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- --Eight million jobs will go unfilled in Brazil in the next three years due to shortage of qualified workers. Dell invests in research and development with local universities to better prepare students for 21st century competitive workforce.
--Evaluation indicates student achievement is enabled by the adoption of classroom technology, including digital content, combined with professional learning activities to the teachers and community support.
Technology, when integrated with interactive digital content, teacher training and community involvement, has a positive impact on student learning and performance, according to the results of the "Interactive Class" project evaluated and released today by UNESCO. Dell announced that it will extend research on technology's impact on teaching and learning in emerging and developed countries.
Participating middle school students improved their performance in math by 20 percent - seven times better than a non-participating study group. According to the study, 44 percent of students said that lessons using technology became more interesting and 54 percent said the lessons encouraged interest in studying.
The 18-month evaluation initiated by Dell in partnership with the Secretary of Education of Sao Paulo State, and with participation from University of Sao Paulo and management from Eldorado Institute, evaluated the impact of professional learning, interactive content and technology in the classroom. The evaluation spanned 23 schools in Hortolandia, Sao Paulo, Brazil and included approximately 6,000 students and 100 teachers.
read more on UNESCO evaluation

TPACK: E-Learning Africa Conference 2011

TPACK: E-learning africa 2011

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TPACK at Kibasila Secondary School in Tanzania

Science teachers at Kibasila Secondary School in Tanzania had an opportunity to learn the integration of technology pedagogy and content to develop TPACK for their lessons. Teachers participated in a two days workshop on TPACK. They later on participated in design teams (chemistry team, Biology team and Physics team) to design lessons that integrate technology pedagogy and content. The chemistry team designed a lesson on Electrolysis, biology team designed a lesson on first aid provision and the physics team designed a lesson on hookes law of elasticity. If you want to see the animations for the Chemistry and Physics teams you are adviced to download the ppts.
Chemistry Team

Electroloysis. tpack at kibasila sec school

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Physics Team

Hookes law. tpack at kibasila sec school

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Biology Team
The biology team made a video which was integrated into slides; however for logistic reason the slides and video are presented separetely in this blog.

Provision of first Aid to a fainting person. TPACK at Kibasila Sec School

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Video made by teachers from Kibasila sec school

An advice for improvement of Science and Mathematics teaching and learning in Tanzania

By Shaaban Fundi
The dismal performance of Tanzanian students in science and mathematics from primary to secondary schools is not surprising. The last time I was in Tanzania I had the opportunity to visit a couple of primary and secondary schools both in urban and rural areas and what I observed in the mathematics and science classroom was very appalling. The lack of basic teaching resources and the didactic teaching methods was rampant .You cannot expect a different result if the teachers of these subjects do not have the resources, the skills, a firm content understanding in the subject area and the professional development they need to perform proficiently in their jobs.

Tanzania Beyond Tomorrow - Education

Our move towards technology integrated schools
Tanzania beyond Tomorrow the biggest project to integrate ICT in Education in Tanzania. Understanding of TPACK among teachers who are going to implement this concept, can make this project more effective in overcoming the long existed failure in science and mathematics subjects in Tanzania. Thus, implementation of TBT should consider the preparation of teachers to effectively integrate technology, pedagogy and cotent in their teaching.

TPACK + WST = ? Curious!!!

During my first study on TPACK integration among preservice teachers in Tanzania, I found that preserivice teachers had the basic knowledge of technology pedagogy and content. They had the theoretical knowledge of how technology can be use in teaching, but they had never tried it in the classroom. When they tried for the first time in the microteaching they were having some difficulties in integrating technology pedagogy and content. It was also difficult to choose the appropriate pedagogical approach that can be support a technology designed lesson. Thus teachers were missing the skills for pedagogical use of technology. The lack of these necessary skills made them less confident on the use of technology and thus, less motivated to use technology.

It was therefore found that despite the theoretical knowledge they had on technology, pedagogy and content they also needed some technological skills which can make them confident on technology use, and thus, develop positive attitude towards technology. In addition, lack of technological tools was mentioned by the majority of the preservice teachers who participated in the study as one of the factors that was hindering them to practice different technological skills. What does this mean? TPACK needs WST model to be effective? But to bring together TPACK and WST? But soon I will be doing a study with the preservice teachers who attended the first training on TPACK and I am going to design for them an intervention that integrate WST and TPACK to see the integration outcomes. Hope I will be able to answer all these questions after this second study on the impact of TPACK and WST on teachers integration of technology in teaching and students' learning outcomes. However, I am again curious about the results! I wish to have some interesting results from this study.

May be after this study we are going to have WSTPACK??!! = Will Skill Tool Pedagogy Content Knowledge Or TATPACK = tool attitude technological pedagogical content knoweldge??! How possible is it? Or we combine skills and knowledge to form technological skill (S) to get TASTPAC! I might be dreaming or over ambitious. Let me wait for the results. 

Integrating TPACK and WST

What exactly does educational technology mean? Does it only end on instructional use of technology?
I guess no!! Its rather both bringing technology into education context (technology integration in education) and assessing the effectiveness of technology on students learning. That is the simple way I can express my opinions about education technology. This view is actually based on the two schools of thoughts: Knezek Christensen, Hancock & Shoho (2002) and  Mishra & Koehler (2005, 2006, 2009).

While Knezek and colleagues considered educational technology in terms of teachers' ability and readiness to integrate technology in teaching, Mishra and Koehler (2005, 2006, 2009) consider educational technology in terms of the effective use of technology in teaching. While knezek and colleagues focuses only on the skills, attitude and tools, ignoring the pedagogy and content, Mishra & Koehler focus only on the integrated knowledge of technology pedagogy and content, ignoring the importance of teachers' attitude towards technology integration, teachers' technological skills necessary to enable them use technology confidently and the importance of technological tools which a teacher can use for a given learning.

Since the purpose of technology in education is to enhance students learning, it is therefore important to consider not only the extent to which teachers integrate technology in the classroom rather the extent to which they integrate technology in teaching, how they integrate it and students' learning outcomes. To do this, we need to integrate the conditions for technology integration (WST) and the knowledge required for effective integration (TPACK) as shown in a simple sketch of the integration summarized in the Figure below.

WST-TPACK integration for effective integration of technology in teaching