The impact of an online technology course on pre-service teachers’ technological knowledge: Strategies and design

Abstract

This study investigated how pre-service teachers’ technology integration knowledge changed as a result of participating in an online educational technology course for a semester in the Fall of 2020 and the Spring of 2021. The pre-service teachers’ technology integration knowledge development was assessed through their self-reported technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK). A total of 194 participants completed a validated TPACK pre- and post-test survey. The results of multilevel modeling analysis suggested that the participants had significant gains in all TPACK domains. Strategies used in designing the online educational technology course were examined for their contribution to pre-service teachers’ TPACK development. Educational technology-based course included activities that facilitated the integration of the components of TPACK framework through peer interactions, lesson planning, and peer feedback. The findings have implications for future research and provide guidance for the design of effective online learning environments to improve pre-service teachers’ technology integration knowledge.