Perceptions of Turkish Pre-Service EFL Teachers on Their Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge

Abstract

        The purpose of this study is to investigate perceptions of Turkish pre-service EFL (English as a Foreign Language) teachers related to their level of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK), the factors affecting their perceptions of TPACK, and their beliefs related to technology integration into EFL classrooms. The study employs both quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis procedures. A total of 94 Turkish pre-service EFL teachers answered two questionnaires designed to gather information about their combining technology, pedagogy, and content knowledge in the ways of both learning and teaching processes. Six of the participants were also interviewed about their perceptions on TPACK competences and their beliefs related to technology use in language teaching. Quantitative data were analyzed by calculating descriptive statistics (frequency, percentage, mean score, standard deviation), and qualitative data were analyzed by using content analysis. The findings related to quantitative data revealed high levels of perceptions on TPACK competences, and the findings related to qualitative data supported the high level of perceived TPACK competences and further revealed that participants emphasized the place of personal interest, experience, knowledge and access while singling out educational support by their own instructors on the development of TPACK. In the light of the findings of the study, it has been suggested that courses offered to pre-service teachers should include how to combine technology, content and pedagogy together for effective instruction in their subject field; and teacher education programs should provide pre-service teachers with the opportunities of becoming the designers of technologically mediated materials. 

Keywords

• technological pedagogical content knowledge,technology integration,teacher education,perceptions of pre-service EFL teachers

References

1. Angeli, C., & Valanides, N. (2005). Preservice elementary teachers as information and communication technology designers: An instructional systems design model based on an expanded view of pedagogical content knowledge. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 21, 292-302.
2. Chai, C. S., Koh, J. H. L., & Tsai, C. C. (2010). Facilitating preservice teachers' development of technological, pedagogical, and content knowledge (TPACK). Journal of Educational Technology & Society, 13 (4), 63-73.
3. Doering, A. & Veletsianos, G. (2008). What lies beyond effectiveness and efficiency? Adventure learning design. The Internet and Higher Education, 11 (3-4), 137-144.
4. Dooley, K. E. (1999). Towards a holistic model for the diffusion of educational technologies: An integrative review of educational innovation studies. Educational Technology & Society, 2 (4), 35-45.
5. Erdogan, A., & Sahin, I. (2010). Relationship between math teacher candidates’ technological pedagogical and content knowledge (TPACK) and achievement levels. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2 (2), 2707-2711.
6. Gess-Newsome, J. (1999). Pedagogical content knowledge: An introduction and orientation. In J. Gess-Newsome & N.G. Lederman (Eds.). Examining pedagogical content knowledge: The construct and its implications for science education (pp. 3-21). Boston: Kluwer.
7. Harris, J., Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. (2009). Teachers’ technological pedagogical content knowledge and learning activity types: Curriculum-based technology integration reframed. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 41 (4), 393-416.
8. Ince, M. L. & Ok, A. (2005). Moving prospective physical education teachers to learner centered teaching: Can it be stimulated in a traditional context? Journal of International Council for Health, Physical Education, Sport and Dance, 41 (1), 6-12.

9. Kabakçı-Yurdakul, I. (2011). An evaluative case study on professional competency of preservice information technology teachers. Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 10 (3), 33-53.
10. Kabakçı-Yurdakul, I. Odabaşı, F., Kılıçer, K., Çoklar, A.N., Birinci, G., & Kurt, A.A. (2012). The development, validity and reliability of TPACK-deep: A technological pedagogical content knowledge scale. Computers and Education, 58 (3), 964-977.
11. Koehler, M. J., & Michra, P. (2005). What happens when teachers design educational technology? The development of technological pedagogical content knowledge. Educational Computing Research, 32 (2), 131-152.
12. Koehler, M. J., Mishra, P., & Yahya, K. (2007). Tracing the development of teacher knowledge in a design seminar: Integrating content, pedagogy and technology. Computers and Education, 49 (3), 740-762.
13. Koehler, M. J., Mishra, P., Kereluik, K., Shin, T.S., & Graham, C. (2013). The technological pedagogical content knowledge framework. In M. J. Spector, M. D. Merrill, J. Elen & M. J. Bishop (Eds.), Handbook of Research on Educational Communications and Technology (pp. 101-111). New York: Springer.
14. Kurt, G. (2012). Developing technological pedagogical content knowledge of Turkish pre-service teachers of English through a design study. (Unpublished PhD dissertation), Yeditepe University, Turkey.
15. Lee, M. H., & Tsai, C. C. (2008). Exploring teachers’ perceived self-efficacy and technological pedagogical content knowledge with respect to educational use of the world wide web. Instructional Science, 38 (1), 1-21.
16. Littrell, A. B., Zagumny, M. J., & Zagumny, L. L. (2005). Contextual and psychological predictors of instructional technology use in rural classrooms. Educational Research Quarterly, 29 (2), 37-47.
17. Maor, D. & Roberts, P. (2011). Does the TPACK framework help to design a more engaging learning environment?. In T. Bastiaens & M. Ebner (Eds.), Proceedings of World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia and Telecommunications 2011 (pp. 3498-3504). Chesapeake, VA: AACE.
18. Margerum-Leys, J. & Marx, R. (2002). Teacher knowledge of educational technology: A study of student teacher/mentor teacher pairs. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 26 (4), 427–462.
19. Mavi, H. F. (2007). The informatics technology usage of undergraduate students in physical education and sport department. Paper presented at 7th International Educational Technology Conference, Near East University, Northern Cyprus.
20. Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. J. (2006). Technological pedagogical content knowledge: A framework for teacher knowledge. Teachers College Record, 108 (6), 1017-1054.
21. Niess, M.L. (2005). Preparing teachers to teach science and mathematics with technology: Developing a technology pedagogical content knowledge. Teaching and Teacher Education, 21, 509-523.
22. Niess, M. L. (2008). Guiding preservice teachers developing TPCK. In J. Colbert, K. Boyd, K. Clarke, S. Guan, J. Harris, M. Kelly, & A. Thompson (Eds.), Handbook of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) for Educators (pp. 223-250). New York, NY: Routledge.
23. OTA (Office of Technology Assessment). (1995). Teachers and technology: Making the connection. Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.
24. Öz, H. (2015). Assessing pre-service English as a foreign language teachers’ technological pedagogical content knowledge. International Education Studies, 8 (5), 119-130.
25. Pierson, M. E. (2001). Technology integration practice as a function of pedagogical expertise. Journal of Research on Computing in Education, 33 (4), 413-430.
26. Russell, M., Bebell, D., O‘Dwyer, L., & O‘Connor, K. (2003). Examining teacher technology use: Implications for preservice and inservice teacher preparation. Journal of Teacher Education, 54 (4), 297–310.
27. Schmidt, D. A., Baran, E., Thompson, A. D., Mishra, P., Koehler, M. J., & Shin, T. S. (2009). Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPCK): The development and validation of an assessment instrument for preservice teachers. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 42 (2), 27.
28. Schulman, L. (1986). Those who understand: Knowledge growth in teaching. Educational Researcher, 15 (2), 4-14.
29. Schulman, L. (1987). Knowledge and teaching: Foundations of the new reform. Harvard Educational Review, 57 (1), 1-22.
30. Semiz, K., & Ince, M. L. (2012). Pre-service physical education teachers' technological pedagogical content knowledge, technology integration self-efficacy and instructional technology outcome expectations. Australian Journal of Educational Technology, 28 (7), 1248-1265.
31. Snider, S. (2003). Exploring technology integration in a field-based teacher education program: Implementation efforts and findings. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 34 (3), 230-249.
32. Solak, E. & Çakır, R. (2014). Examining preservice EFL teachers’ TPACK competencies in Turkey. Journal of Educators Online, 11 (2).
33. Top, E. (2007). Secondary school English teachers’ technology perceptions and issues related with their technology integration processes: A qualitative study. (Unpublished PhD dissertation), Middle East Technical University, Turkey.
34. Tunçer, M. (2014). The Relationship between teacher efficacy and technological pedagogical content knowledge within the scope of EFL pre-service teachers. (Unpublished MA thesis), Anadolu University, Turkey.
35. Yaman, M. (2007). The competence of physical education teachers in computer use. Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 6 (4), 46-55.
36. Yaman, C. (2008). The abilities of physical education teachers in educational technologies and multimedia. Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 7 (2), 20-31.
37. Yilmaz, I. (2008). Beden egitimi ve spor öğretim elemanlarının teknolojiye iliskin tutumlarının değerlendirilmesi. Turkiye Sosyal Arastirmalar Dergisi, 12 (1), 135-147.
38. Yilmaz, I., Ulucan, H., & Pehlivan, S. (2010). Beden eğitimi öğretmenliği programında öğrenim gören öğrencilerin eğitimde teknoloji kullanımına ilişkin tutum ve düşünceleri. Ahi Evran Universitesi Egitim Fakultesi Dergisi, 11 (1), 105-118.