An Examination of the Techno-pedagogical Education Competencies (TPACK) of Pre-service Elementary School and Preschool Teachers

Abstract

The purpose o f this study i s to determine the technological pedagogical content k knowledge of p re-service ele ementary school and pr eschool teache ers. The fundamental proble em of the study y consists of th he investigation of teachers' TPACK by their year o f study and fi fields. This is a a descriptive s tudy. It was co onducted using g the survey model because it aimed to determine TPACK of the e 995 pre-serv vice elementar ry school and preschool tea hers who participated in th c he study. They were in the departme ents of elemen tary school te eaching and pr eschool teach hing at three st tate universitie es in the spring term of f the 2014-201 15 academic y ear. The study y found the me ans of junior (third year) an nd senior (fou rth year) pre-service tea achers in the d departments of elementary s chool teachin ng and preschool teaching to o be high. The ir means were also high h in the sub-di imensions of T TPACK compe etence. The TP PACK means of the pre-serv vice elementar y school and preschoo ol teachers we re found to b be high. The TPACK mea ans of senior pre-service elementary sch ool and preschool teac chers were det ermined to d ffer from those of junior pr i re-service preschool teacher s. It can be st ated that this difference e resulted from m technology a nd material de evelopment co ourses taken by y the pre-servic ce teachers in different semesters. Th eir pre-service e education had positive effe cts on their TP PACK. Providi ing pre-service e technology e ducation and practice a as part of relev vant courses w will not be adequate. Along with the educ ation, pre-serv vice elementar y school and preschool l teachers shou uld be provided with opportunities to use t technology. Th hese opportuniities should go o beyond the basis of co ourses that they y take. It sho ld be supplem u ented with pra actice in teaching practicum courses and sh hould be included in p practice evaluation forms as s a criterion. T he subdimen nsions of TPA ACK can be ex xamined, and TPACK competency c an be assessed in specific tea aching program s in further s studies.