TPACK, Journal Summary 15

An Examination of the Techno-Pedagogical Education Competencies (TPACK) of Pre-Service Elementary School and Pre-School Teachers

Muhammet Ӧzdemir

Along with development of technology in educational scope, it is important for the teachers’ to enrich their competencies in technology. Even though the school providing classes with technology materials, doesn’t mean that it will increase the quality of teaching and learning process (Kabakci-Yurdakul, Odabasi, Kilices, Coklar, Birinci and Kurt, 2014). Technological model aimed to have teachers to acquire knowledge and skill of using the technology, while pedagogical models are models that aim to have teachers to associate their technological knowledge with their pedagogical knowledge when teaching one of the pedagogical models related to the integration of technology into education is the TAPCK model (Kobaksi & Yurdakul, 2011). Teachers using technology effectively will facilitate raising technologically literate individuals.  According to studies conducted on TPACK with teachers and pre-service teachers, TPACK is important for education of teachers and their professional development (Koehler & Mishra, 2005). The teachers as pre-service teachers are expected to have technological, pedagogical, content knowledge (TPACK). Therefore, the determination of pre-service teachers’ perceptions about their TPACK is very important (Yavuz-Konokman et al, 2013). TPACK is a development from Shulman’s idea PCK which added technology by Mishra and Koehler. The aim of this study was to determined whether the TPACK competence levels of the pre-service elementary and preschool teachers show any difference by year of study and departments.

To collect the data, the author using the survey model, because the major aim was to determine 995 in total of pre-service teachers’ TPACK in the departments of primary school elementary school teaching and preschool teaching in the third and fourth year of study at three different universities. To select the sample, simple random sampling was selected. Based on the data, can be concluded that pre-service teachers‘ education had different levels of competence between senior (fourth year students) and  junior (third year students) of pre-service elementary school and preschool teachers, it can be stated that the difference resulted from technology and material development courses taken. But they had positive effects on their TPACK. Along with education, pre-service elementary school and preschool teachers should be provided with opportunities to use technology and it should be supported with practice in teaching practicum courses and should be inserted in practice evaluation forms as criterion.