Teachers' Content, Pedagogical, and Technological Knowledge, and the Use of Technology in Teaching Pronunciation.

This study examined the correlations between three vital areas of teaching pronunciation in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) classes (i.e., content, pedagogical, and technological knowledge). This study also explored the relationships between teachers' majors, experience, and technology competence with using technology in teaching English pronunciation. Data was collected by using a questionnaire. The study tool was a model adapted from different studies. The participants of the study were sixty English language instructors at different Saudi universities. The result indicated that there was a statistically significant difference in the three constructs of the model based on the participants' technology competence. The results revealed that content knowledge had a small correlation with pedagogical knowledge, and with technological knowledge. Pedagogical knowledge had a strong positive correlation with technological knowledge.

Analyzing the outcomes of a robotics workshop on the self-efficacy, familiarity, and content knowledge of participants and examining their designs for end-of-year robotics contests.

Rapid advances in science and engineering, and pervasive adoption of resulting technological products, are influencing every aspect of human living and fueling a growing demand for a workforce that is adequately prepared for the emerging occupations in STEM fields. Educating students for success in the modern technology-rich workplace requires teachers who have the knowledge, comfort, capability, and training to adopt and integrate new technologies for classroom teaching and learning. Thus, to prepare high school teachers for incorporating robotics in their students' education and promoting their understanding of engineering concepts and technology applications, a four-week long robotics workshop was designed and conducted annually for three summers. Examination of changes in the workshop participants' levels of robotics self-efficacy, familiarity, and content knowledge, as well as analysis of outcomes of robotics capstone projects and end-of-year contests, is suggestive of study findings being promising for education researchers and professional development providers interested in leveraging the potential of robotics in STEM education.

Predicting Preservice Science Teachers' TPACK through ICT usage.

Designing effective and efficient learning environments by integrating recent educational technologies into the teaching process has become an important goal of education for nearly two decades. However, earlier studies showed that a higher level of technology knowledge does not guarantee the development of TPACK. At this point, studies guided by the transformative approach defining TPACK as a unique knowledge revealed encouraging results for a better understanding of technology-integrated instruction. This study aims to investigate to what extent ICT usage categories predict preservice science teachers' TPACK. Totally 326 preservice science teachers with a mean age of 21.62 (SD = 1.41) from seven different universities participated. For that purpose, a correlational study was conducted. The ICT-TPACK-Science Scale and the ICT Usage Questionnaire were used to collect data. Six separate multiple regression analyses were conducted to predict TPACK measures using ICT measures. Results indicated that approximately a third of the variability in total-TPACK scores can be accounted for by three ICT measures. The relative importance of individual predictors is arranged in the following order desktop software, emerging ICTs, and hardware. As for the dimensions of the ICT-TPACK-Science Scale, the overall effect of the ICT predictors decreased in the following order: Designing, implementing, planning, proficiency, and ethics. Emerging ICTs made the highest contribution to the designing and proficiency dimensions; while desktop software made the highest contribution to the implementing, planning, and ethics dimensions. To sum up, this study describes the association between ICT usage and TPACK in the view of the transformative ICT-TPACK-Science framework. The utilization and transformation of ICT tools as a cognitive partner for effective and efficient science teaching in different TPACK dimensions needs further investigation.

The effect of the e-mentoring-based education program on professional development of preschool teachers.

The qualification of a preschool teacher is one of the important factors that determine the quality of preschool education. To increase the quality in education, teachers should be equipped with the necessary knowledge starting from pre-service training, and in-service training should support the upgrading of their knowledge. Thus, the aim of this study was to develop an e-Mentoring-Based Education Program (e-MENTE:PT) for preschool teachers and to test its effectiveness on their professional development during the in-service support period. The study used a design-based research approach. First, focus group interviews were conducted with one-hundred-and-five preschool teachers to find out their needs. Then, an e-MENTE:PT Program was developed based on these needs and devised to be used on the Canvas learning management system (LMS), which involves all opportunities of e-learning and allows one-to-one e-mentoring. The e-MENTE:PT Program involved twelve modules related to the pedagogical content knowledge of the preschool education program. Each module included contents, goals, module materials, e-books, videos, pre- and post-module evaluation questions, discussion questions, live lessons and e-portfolios, all of which were integrated in the LMS. Next, eighteen full-time and nine substitute voluntary teachers from five different provinces were selected as mentees by means of criterion sampling. Nine academicians working in these provinces acted as mentors and implemented the application, each working with two mentees for two months. Qualitative data were analysed by means of descriptive analysis and quantitative data were analysed by means of the Wilcoxon signed rank test. The research concluded that the e-MENTE:PT program supported preschool teachers' professional knowledge, learning environments and classroom applications, and an e-mentoring based teaching management system was effective on professional development.

Pre-service teachers' perceptions of technological pedagogical content knowledge in mainland China: A survey of teachers of Chinese as a second language.

There is an urgent need to address the critical demand for qualified Chinese language teachers against the background of China's seeking greater Sino-foreign cultural and educational cooperation. The literature on integrating technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) in language teaching has been increasing in the last few years. However, most of these studies focus on English language teachers. The objective of this study was to examine pre-service teachers' understanding of TPACK for teaching Chinese as a second language (TCSL). This study investigated the TPACK factor structure of 286 pre-service TCSL teachers via exploratory factor analysis, which yielded a six-factor structure. The results revealed that the teachers could not distinguish the boundaries between technological pedagogical knowledge (TPK) and technological content knowledge (TCK); and TPK and synthesized TPACK. Further, confirmatory factor analysis using structural equation modeling substantiated the validity and reliability of the adapted 32-item TCSL-TPACK survey instrument. The study also found that the teachers were slightly satisfied with their overall TPACK but were least confident of their technological knowledge (TK), and the more experienced teachers exhibited higher confidence in all six factors. These findings not only remind educators and policymakers of the need to revise current teacher training programs but also persuade TCSL student teachers to explore methods that can help integrate technology into lesson designs.

Understanding levels of technology integration: A TPACK scale for EFL teachers to promote 21st-century learning.

Education worldwide has emphasized 21st-century competencies, including language competence, computer competence, and thinking skills. Research on Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK), essential teacher knowledge, has attempted to address the need for technology integration to support thinking skills. However, existing TPACK assessments have not intended to help teachers understand the levels of technology integration in teaching English as a foreign language (EFL). Therefore, this study proposed a two-dimensional TPACK scale, allowing EFL teachers to assess their TPACK in integrating technology and thinking skills. In total, 525 EFL teachers responded to this survey online. Scores of this scale were collected to test and establish validity and reliability. The statistical evidence showed that this instrument has high reliability and validity and is helpful for understanding levels of technology integration. The results showed that the EFL teachers were less confident in their TPACK teaching higher-order thinking skills. The EFL teachers in different cultures reported different confidence levels in TPACK and thinking skills (F(6, 518) = 7.83, p < .001). The high-achieving EFL teachers reported high TPACK self-efficacy (r = .210, p < .05). This TPACK survey would be helpful for EFL teachers to understand their development of TPACK in integrating technology and thinking skills in teaching English.

Developing Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) through Technology-Enhanced Content and Language-Integrated Learning (T-CLIL) Instruction.

The emergence of innovative technologies and their increased integration in education, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, has popularized the concept of technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) in the educational field. The aim of this study is to determine whether technology-enhanced content and language-integrated learning (T-CLIL) instruction, which involves integrating technology into the CLIL approach that simultaneously focuses on non-language-related educational content and the target language, can improve the TPACK of preservice English teachers in tertiary education in Thailand. The development of their TPACK was monitored through four subjective tests that were employed at predetermined intervals across the experimental program. Quantitative data obtained from these tests were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean scores, standard deviations, and percentages), as well as inferential statistics (using a repeated-measures analysis of variance in SPSS). The findings demonstrated that T-CLIL instruction enhances the TPACK of preservice teachers as indicated by the consistent increase in the mean scores for all seven TPACK elements across the four separate time intervals.

Discipline-Specific Compared to Generic Training of Teachers in Higher Education.

A recurrent theme arising in the higher education sector is the suitability and effectiveness of generic versus discipline-specific training of university teachers, who are often recruited based on their disciplinary specialties to become teachers in higher education. We compared two groups of participants who had undergone training using a generic post-graduate certificate in higher education (PGCertGeneric) versus a discipline-specific course in veterinary education (PGCertVetEd). The study was conducted using a survey that allowed comparison of participants who completed PGCertGeneric (n=21) with PGCertVetEd (n=22). Results indicated that participants from both PGCertGeneric and PGCertVetEd considered teaching to be satisfying and important to their careers, valued the teaching observation component of the course, and identified similar training needs. However, the participants of the PGCertVetEd felt that the course made them better teachers, valued the relevance of the components taught, understood course design better, were encouraged to do further courses/reading in teaching and learning, changed their teaching as a result of the course, and were less stressed about teaching as compared to the PGCertGeneric participants (p<.05). It is likely that the PGCertVetEd, which was designed and developed by veterinarians with a wider understanding of the veterinary sector, helped the participants perceive the training course as suited to their needs.

The Design, Implementation, and Assessment of an Undergraduate Neurobiology Course using a Project-Based Approach.

Project-based learning (PBL) is a student-centered approach that allows students to build on prior knowledge and address relevant problems while working on challenging projects. PBL is well-suited to undergraduate neuroscience courses because students are often interested in learning about diseased states of the nervous system, but can be discouraged by having to learn the chemical and cellular mechanisms underlying pathologies in a lecture-based learning environment. PBL provides students with a significant learning experience that excites them and can help them learn challenging content. Drawing from the recommendations of multiple STEM education reform efforts, I examined the effectiveness of using PBL in an undergraduate neurobiology course to provide students with significant and engaging learning experiences. Students were grouped into teams using a guild system and completed three substantial projects consisting of team-authored research papers and poster presentations. Each project was designed to address fundamental neuroscience concepts using a real-world problem. By the end of the course, students were more confident in their understanding of neuroscience and had greater understanding of neuroscience concepts. Student attitudes toward working on projects or working as a member of team did not change but remained positive throughout course. Taken together, these results suggest that PBL can be an effective way to actively engage students while allowing them to learn, integrate and communicate core neuroscience concepts.

An instructional design process based on expert knowledge for teaching students how mechanisms are explained.

In biology and physiology courses, students face many difficulties when learning to explain mechanisms, a topic that is demanding due to the immense complexity and abstract nature of molecular and cellular mechanisms. To overcome these difficulties, we asked the following question: how does an instructor transform their understanding of biological mechanisms and other difficult-to-learn topics so that students can comprehend them? To address this question, we first reviewed a model of the components used by biologists to explain molecular and cellular mechanisms: the MACH model, with the components of methods (M), analogies (A), context (C), and how (H). Next, instructional materials were developed and the teaching activities were piloted with a physical MACH model. Students who used the MACH model to guide their explanations of mechanisms exhibited both improvements and some new difficulties. Third, a series of design-based research cycles was applied to bring the activities with an improved physical MACH model into biology and biochemistry courses. Finally, a useful rubric was developed to address prevalent student difficulties. Here, we present, for physiology and biology instructors, the knowledge and resources for explaining molecular and cellular mechanisms in undergraduate courses with an instructional design process aimed at realizing pedagogical content knowledge for teaching. Our four-stage process could be adapted to advance instruction with a range of models in the life sciences.

[A qualitative analysis of spelling mistakes and a systematic supportive learning instruction of spelling disorder]. / Zur qualitativen Rechtschreibfehleranalyse und einer schriftsystematischen lernförderlichen Behandlung der Rechtschreibstörung.

This paper explains how a qualitative analysis of spelling mistakes (Oldenburger Fehleranalyse, Thomé & Thomé, 2014) may be used to select learning materials according to individual needs. The pre-post design with control group serves to evaluate the effects of an intervention that is systematic and learning supportive for pupils with a diagnosed spelling disorder (ages 12 to 14; 6th-8th grade). Therapists of the experimental group were instructed to apply a series of linguistic and psycholinguistic criteria when creating the material for instruction and when carrying out the therapy. Therapists of the control group carried out the intervention without attending to these criteria, although they did have knowledge about the pupil's profile in spelling mistakes. The intervention included 20 sessions. The ANOVA shows improvement for both groups (HSP, May 2012): (F(1, 14) = 15,05, p = .002, η2 = .518). For the experimental group it is stronger, and the difference in achievement gain is significant (F(1, 14) = 4,70, p = .048; η2 = .25). These results support a combination of qualitative analysis and a high qualification for therapists that relates specifically to orthography and its instruction. For some pupils the changes in the qualitative profiles reveal persistent support requirements in phonology or grammar instruction.

The Impact of Using Digital Video Recordings by Prospective Teachers on Their Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge.

Analyzing digital video recordings (DVRs) is an effective instructional strategy for professionally preparing and developing prospective teachers. This study examines the impact of using DVRs among prospective teachers at Al-Qasimi College on their technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) and its seven domains (TK, PK, CK, PCK, TCK, TPK, TPACK). The study was based on a mixed methodology approach, and the study sample included 70 prospective teachers who were distributed into an experimental group and a control group. Data were collected using the TPACK questionnaire and semi-structured interviews with 10 participants. The quantitative and qualitative results showed that prospective teachers in the experimental group significantly and positively impacted TPACK and its seven domains. The results of the study indicated that digital video recordings allowed prospective teachers to reflect and ponder on their teaching skills, content delivery, and the appropriate use of technology and its relevant tools in the educational process to identify strengths for development and weaknesses for improvement. Therefore, the results of the current study provide concrete evidence for the need to use DVRs as a promising educational approach in future professional preparation and to develop prospective teachers' technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK).

Metacognitive scaffolding for preservice teachers' self-regulated design of higher order thinking tasks.

This study compared two professional training courses targeting self-regulated learning (SRL) amongst preservice secondary science teachers in the context of didactic content knowledge for teaching higher-order thinking (HOT-PCK), either with metacognitive scaffolding (Meta group) or without (Control group). Measures included trainees' comprehension and design of HOT-PCK learning tasks, online SRL reflections about learning-teaching events, and self-reported SRL aptitude. Results indicated skill improvement in both groups, but the metacognitive support provided by the IMPROVE self-questioning technique better enhanced the preservice teachers' (PSTs) development of HOT-PCK, both as students (comprehension skills) and as future teachers (design skills), additionally as their ability to reflect on and control their studying. Findings also revealed significant correlations between SRL assessments (self-reports, event-based reflections) and between SRL and HOT-PCK indices. Consequences for teacher education combining SRL and HOT-PCK contexts are discussed.

Designing a pedagogical framework for mobile-assisted language learning.

With the high penetration of mobile devices and wide coverage of wireless networks, mobile-assisted language learning (MALL) has been widely utilized to enhance language teaching and learning. However, the integration of MALL into language pedagogy has been hampered by a lack of a cohesive and unified framework for MALL pedagogy. Most of the existing frameworks were not specifically designed for language pedagogy and failed to balance the technological and pedagogical dimensions of MALL pedagogy. This study sought to promote the incorporation of MALL and tertiary EFL pedagogy by designing a pedagogical framework for MALL (PF4M) using design-based research (DBR) as the overarching research methodology. The DBR investigation adopted a mixed research approach, incorporating systematic review, expert survey, thematic analysis, and expert review. The resulting PF4M is anticipated to aid in the integration of MALL into language pedagogy by offering practical and theoretical guidance for effective teaching and learning. The findings may also suggest future directions for pedagogical innovations in MALL.

The Impact of Sport Education on Chinese Physical Education Majors' Volleyball Content Knowledge and Performance.

Purpose: The preparation of Chinese physical education teachers focuses strongly on movement competence and the development of knowledge about rules and techniques. What is missing are experiences that promote expertise in task design and progressions. The purpose of this study was to examine if participation in classes following the Sport Education model could enhance content expertise by placing students in situations where they were responsible for these tasks. Methods: One hundred and ten physical education majors from a university in central China participated in a semester-long course of volleyball taught using either Traditional Instruction or Sport Education. Pre- and post-course measures were recorded of participants' game performance, common content knowledge (CCK), and specialized content knowledge (SCK). Results: After controlling for pre-intervention scores, statistically significant differences were evident in the posttest scores between the instructional groups for all three measures. The binomial logistic regression model to ascertain the effect of course type on the likelihood that students would reach the benchmark depth of SCK produced statistical significance. Students in the Sport Education classes had 6.67 times higher odds to reach the benchmark than students in the Traditional Instruction classes. Conclusion: The accountability mechanisms specific to Sport Education that have been shown to enhance student motivation and promote knowledge and performance seemed to carry over into this setting. As students in Sport Education were responsible for designing much of their team training, this served to promote their ability to design and sequence tasks based on their team's needs. Implications for physical education teacher education are discussed.

Unravelling EFL teachers' mastery of TPACK: Technological pedagogical and content knowledge in writing classes.

Integrating technology into English writing instruction has become integral to improving students' writing skills. However, there is a dearth of research addressing teachers' Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPACK) in writing classes. Hence, this study explored preparatory English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers' mastery of TPACK in writing classes in Qatar. Using a descriptive approach, one hundred eighty-two in-service teachers responded to a self-reported TPACK survey. According to the findings, teachers' knowledge across all TPACK constructs was high. While teachers' content knowledge was the highest among the four domains, teachers' TPACK was the lowest. Significantly, male teachers showed a greater level of technological knowledge than female teachers. In addition, results show that teachers with 1 to 5 years of experience scored at the highest level of technological knowledge, and teachers who received professional development outperformed their peers in TPACK. The study findings provide insights to educators and policymakers concerned about teachers' education and professional development; teachers must be equipped with the required technological literacy skills to enhance students' writing in the digital age.

Teaching programming and computational thinking in early childhood education: a case study of content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge.

Programming and computational thinking (CT) have been progressively incorporated into early childhood education to prepare children for the digital age. However, little is known about the content knowledge (CK) and pedagogical knowledge (PK) possessed by early childhood teachers in this domain. To address this gap, we conducted a case study of an early childhood teacher in China who had experience developing and implementing an unplugged programming and CT curriculum. The triangulation of data sources was established to collect evidence from videotaped observations, interviews, and lesson plans. For the CK, analysis of these findings revealed that the teacher had a more robust understanding of CT concepts (e.g., sequences, conditionals, and loops) compared to CT practices (e.g., decomposition, debugging) and CT perspectives (e.g., perseverance, choices of conduct). In terms of PK, the teacher could apply the general pedagogical knowledge but was relatively weak in using content-specific pedagogical knowledge. As the first endeavor to investigate an early childhood teacher's CK and PK in teaching programming and CT, this study provides significant implications for improving teachers' professional knowledge and teaching effectiveness in this burgeoning area.

A performance-based test to measure teachers' mathematics and science content and pedagogical knowledge.

Developing an instrument to measure and compare mathematics and science content knowledge (CK) and pedagogical knowledge (PK) of teachers who graduated from Teacher Training University (TTU) with those of teachers who graduated from other universities in Iran was the primary purpose of this study. A total of 226 teachers were selected using a two-stage cluster random sampling, which included 84 teachers graduating from TTU and 142 teachers from other universities. The data were collected using mathematics, science CK, PK, and NEO tests to measure teachers' personality traits. The findings indicated a significant difference between the two groups of teachers in the CK tests, favoring TTU graduates. However, it was found that the two groups did not perform differently in the PK tests.

Corrigendum: Teaching programming and computational thinking in early childhood education: a case study of content knowledge and pedagogical knowledge.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1252718.].

Empirical Research on Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) Framework in Health Professions Education: A Literature Review.

In the context of twenty-first-century information and communication technologies, the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework is a new way of conceptualizing categories of knowledge required by teachers to achieve technology integration in educational practice. The main purpose of this review is to identify research on the TPACK framework in the field of health professions education. Journal empirical studies from 4 databases are included in this review. Of the 76 selected articles, nine met the selection criteria. The findings in the examined papers highlighted four themes: TPACK level measurement, TPACK relationship with other variables, TPACK application, and professional development. Research on the TPACK framework in the health professions education area is still lacking; however, the finding indicates that the TPACK as a theoretical foundation generated positive outcomes that can guide practitioners and researchers' future practice and investigations.