Cross-Culture and Technology Integration: Examining the Impact of a TPACK-focused Collaborative Project on Pre-service Teachers and Teacher Education Faculty

Abstract

Pre-service teachers developing Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) and cultural awareness are critical for 21st century teaching. This action research study with 83 K-6 pre-service teachers examined the impacts of a collaborative project, between teacher education and technology faculty, which integrated cross-cultural learning experiences, social studies inquiry skills and activities, and digital storytelling. Overall, pre-service teachers developed technological skills as well as an awareness of cultural similarities and differences. While pre-service teachers found instructional components of the collaborative project useful, no evidence suggested that they developed an ability to recognize transferrable pedagogy for future classroom use. Pre-service teachers viewed the project as a course requirement rather than a valuable professional development experience, indicating the need to augment this experience with approaches that more intentionally explore pedagogical applications of technology in real world situations. Teacher education faculty members were satisfied with most of the project’s learning activities, confirming that the collaborative technology project brought about a cultural self-awareness for the pre-service teachers. They expressed the desire to implement similar projects in future courses, but admitted the need for additional technological experiences to replicate the project’s design. These preliminary findings suggest that pre-service teachers need more information about how to recognize teaching strategies for future use, and instructors need to be involved in all stages of the project.