Introduction:

In this post I will try to write my reflections onTPACK framework taking a specific example (taking a particular content, technology and pedagogical approach from mathematics lesson). In addition, I will try to explain how flexibility, technology, and pedagogical approaches leads to the issue of TPCK and its added value .The two issues will be treated in the separate posts.

1.      Technological, Pedagogical and Content Knowledge (TPCK): Reflection

 The concept of technological, pedagogical and content knowledge (TPCK) was a new thought for me when I came to the Netherlands. I am interested with the concept. I have discussed  the issue in my country with colloquies as intermingled way not as structured form as TPCK.

TPCK is the combination of the three components of knowledge (Technological, Pedagogical and content) on which each of them reinforce each other to get the advantage of technology in using it in the teaching/learning process. A teacher should have content, pedagogical, and technological knowledge to use technology in the classroom effectively. Moreover, the separate knowledge of content, pedagogical, and technological will add up nothing in the classroom unless an educator tried to have pooled knowledge of TPCK. While we are talking about TPCK model, it is also important to notice also that the context is very important. It includes the availability of resources, nature of the learners (learning style, background etc), the teachers background, belief of education system etc. All these has to be taken into consideration during planning the concept of TPCK. The cross combination of the three components (Technological, Pedagogical and content knowledge) will result in some other four different combinations including TPCK. These are technological pedagogical, technological content, pedagogical content and finally technological pedagogical content knowledge. Let me define each of them as follows:

Content knowledge is a knowledge about the actual subject matter that is to be learned or taught. Pedagogical knowledge is the teachers well though knowledge about the processes and practices or methods of teaching and learning. It could include overall educational purposes, values, aims, and principles of a certain subject domain.

Technology knowledge is understanding the influence of information technology on education while using in the classroom.

Pedagogical content knowledge  is the knowledge of the teacher where real learning could be happened. It includes the implementation of the curriculum, students assessment and evaluation.

Technological content knowledge is an understanding of the teacher that technology and content influence each other for real happening of learning. It is the teachers belief that the content of a certain discipline can be changed by the application of technology.

Technological pedagogical knowledge is understanding of how teaching and learning changes when particular technologies are used. It demands teachers creativity to use the available resource rather than fixing on a particular technology.

Technological pedagogical content Knowledge is the basis of effective teaching with technology and requires an understanding of the concepts using technologies, pedagogical approaches that use technologies in systematic ways to teach content.

However, the teacher will benefit more when the three combined together in effective ways. In this case the bare sum of each components doesn’t  result learning, rather the principle that the whole is greater than the sum of each parts hold true for real learning.

It could be very clear if we consider a particular example: Let me begin taking a particular topic from mathematics since technology is an essential tool for learning mathematics in the 21st century. Calculators and other technological tools, such as computer algebra systems, interactive geometry software, spreadsheets, and interactive presentation devices, are vital components of a high-quality mathematics education. With guidance from effective mathematics teachers, students at different levels can use these tools to support and extend mathematical reasoning and sense making, gain access to mathematical content and problem-solving contexts, and enhance computational fluency. In a well-articulated mathematics program, students can use these tools for computation, construction, and representation as they explore problems.

Suppose we have the following mathematics content  at grade one of Ethiopian schools:

·         Context: Ethiopian grade one students , where few facilities are available. The teacher has to use the available resource with its context. It could be good if he is able to use computers but computers may not be available in the school.

·         Content: Multiplication of numbers between 0 -100

·         Pedagogy: Inquiry learning

·         Technology: Simple calculator

Based on the above given data it is possible to explain what is expected from the teacher regarding content, pedagogical, technological, technological pedagogical, technological content, pedagogical content and finally technological pedagogical content knowledge to effectively integrate the calculator in students learning as follows:

i)                     Content knowledge (CK) : the teacher has to know the concepts, theories and principles of multiplication which is pertinent to the given grade level.

ii)                  Pedagogical knowledge (PK): The teacher’s skill and ability how to teach this topic , mange the students, plan lessons etc during the lesson.  In this case the teacher may decide to follow up students not to use the calculator unless they are to do so.

iii)                Technological Knowledge (TK). It is the teachers knowledge of the certain technology. In this case the teacher should have the knowledge of how to operate the calculator to perform multiplication.

iv)                Technological pedagogical knowledge (TPK): It the knowledge of the teacher how inquiry learning works with simple calculator. One approach the teacher could  think of is  to require from the  students to figure out their own answers before checking their work on a calculator.

v)                  Technological content knowledge (TCK). It is the knowledge of the teacher in fitting  the calculator to works to teach grade one students about multiplication. The teacher my select questions (topics) which are compatible with the calculator. The calculator for example may not be compatible to multiply numbers with number like 3.1X2.3, hence the teacher should be aware of excluding such numbers

vi)                Pedagogical content knowledge (PCK). It is the ability of the teacher how the content multiplication fitted with inquiry learning approach to achieve maximum learning by students.

vii)              Technological, Pedagogical, content knowledge: It is the pooled knowledge of the teacher in presenting the content multiplication using calculator through inquiry method of teaching. It is more than the sum of the three components. The whole concept of TPCK is greater than the sum of its components. It is the  knowledge of the teacher how the three components (the calculator, inquiry learning and the concept multiplication) combined together to maximize learning.
It is also possible to explain the particular example by using the model of TPACK as follows

 Fig: A particular example which exemplify TPCK framework

2.      Flexibility, Technology, and Pedagogical Approaches Leads to the Issue of TPCK

In this post I will try to show how the previous lessons (flexibility, pedagogical approaches, technology and the issue of content) lead to the new framework TPCK. In addition I will try to mention some added values of TPCK in brief.

As I have explained in the last post (posted on my blogs on October 10, 2010), I  have gone through on a lot of articles and had have lectures on flexibility, pedagogical approach and the use of technology to be more flexible as well as to blend technology in pedagogical approaches. I have also explained using literatures that the learners diversified interest of learning call for the emergence of flexibility. Hence, there must be more flexibility to meet the needs of the learner, through adaptability to different learner needs, learning patterns and settings, and media combinations (Van den Brande, 1993, in Collis & Moonen (2001).  One can be flexible in different areas in his teaching beyond distance learning. The general flexibility areas in teaching are; flexibility in time like finishing and starting a course, flexibility in content (like content sequencing), flexibility in entry requirements, flexibility in  instructional approach and resources and flexibility in delivery and logistics. Among the flexibility options pedagogical flexibility is the very important aspect of teaching. There are lots of methods of pedagogical approach teachers can use in their teaching/learning process. However, using the pedagogical approaches in “traditional way” are not seem no more accepted now a days due to the emergence of technologies. As a result, technologies are becoming the crucial component in implementing these pedagogical approach in flexible way and beyond traditional approach There is a high demand from students to use technology in education for reshaping of teaching and pedagogical approach.  Hence, I have gained a better understanding in the last sections how pedagogical approaches (like problem based learning, collaborative learning, project based learning etc) are blended with technology to make my teaching more flexible and gear learners interests. I can see that there are two critical issues that one has to know in last sections of discussions: Pedagogy, and Technology to be taught. Therefore, there is a need from the teacher be aware of these components. The fourth lesson comes with the concept of content which result in with the emergence of new concept called TPCK which answers the question how flexibility and learning will be maximized via technology.

As I have explained above, in the last couples of lesson (lesson 1, 2, and 3) the concept of technology, pedagogy and how technology and pedagogy combined together for effective learning (CMS) were treated in a good manner, in addition, one can see clearly that these lesson were a prerequisites for the emergence of new concept called TPCK. The concept TPCK come to emerge immediately at the fourth lesson when the teacher introduces the concept of content. The TPCK framework come with a new concept of how can teachers integrate technology into their teaching and aapproaches  needed that treats teaching as an interaction between what teachers know, and how they apply what they know in the unique circumstances or contexts within their classrooms. The TPCK framework also give tips that there is no “one best way” to integrate technology into curriculum. Rather, integration efforts should be creatively designed or structured for particular subject matter ideas in specific classroom contexts.

2.1. Added values of TPCK

As it is mentioned above, TPCK is a framework for teachers knowledge  for technology integration in teaching/learning process. The development of TPCK is critical to effective teaching with technology (Koehler and Mishra, 2008). Hence, there is a demand to know more about TPCK to manage courses in using technology for teachers. These knowledge is not the separate knowledge rather whole understanding of TPCK. The TPCK framework can effectively be used to determine the content of courses such as instructional technologies for a particular subject teaching for teachers and of workshops for teacher training programs in attempts to achieve a successful integration of technology into instruction. Moreover, the TPCK model could add values in the diagnose of  teachers’ difficulties with integration of technology into instruction and areas which seek for professional development for a successful integration. In line with this Kenny (2002) in Angeli and Valanides (2008)  stated that the lack of a subject specific focus in many technology programs remains an issue, but even in those cases where subject applications are discussed, matters of how technology interacts with the content and content-specific pedagogy are not sufficiently explored. As a result, teachers cannot effectively think how to link technology with the teaching of a particular content domain, but the emergence of TPCK come with solution for the such problem.

In general TPCK has added values in different aspect for successful integration of technology in the classroom. Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) has emerged as a useful framework for describing and understanding the goals for technology use in the classroom. Moreover, it is useful to analyze teachers gap in using technology in the classroom and based on the analysis it becomes possible to upgrade teachers gap through professional development.

References

Angeli C. and Valanides  N. (2008). TPCK in Pre-service Teacher Education: Preparing Primary Education Students to Teach with Technology. Paper Presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association March,  24-28, 2008,  University of Cyprus , New York City. Reterieved on October 16, 2010 at http://punya.educ.msu.edu/presentations/AERA2008/AngeliValanides_AERA2008.pdf

Collis, B., & Moonen, J. (2001, second printing 2002). Flexible learning in a digital world: Experiences and expectations. London: Kogan Page

Koehler, M. J., & Mishra, P. (2008). Introducing TPCK. In: AACTE Committee on Innovation and Technology (Ed.) Handbook of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPCK) for Educators. (pp. 3 - 29). New York: American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education and Routledge.