Pairing a Learning Activity Types Short Course with Collaborative Curriculum Design: An Approach to Impact Teachers' Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK)

[摘要] In the last 20 years, spending on educational technology has increased a hundredfold worldwide (Lim, Zhao, Tondeur, Chai, & Tsai, 2013).Research suggests that the integration of that investment into classroom instruction is often inadequate to substantively impact student learning experiences (Ertmer & Otterbreit-Leftwich, 2010).The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a unique approach to professional development on the participant teachers’ Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK).TPACK is defined as '...knowledge about the complex relations among technology, pedagogy, and content that enables teachers to develop appropriate and context-specific teaching strategies” (Koehler, Mishra, Kereluik, Shin, & Graham, 2014, p. 102).The seven sixth-grade teachers at North East Middle School completed an online short course on Learning Activity Types and participated in collaborative curriculum design, during which they developed an interdisciplinary thematic unit.This study also sought to determine the contextual factors that influenced the teachers as they developed the unit, as well as their beliefs about planning and technology upon conclusion.Data was gathered during the research process through individual interviews (both at the outset of the methodology and after the teachers had completed the professional development experience), observations during the planning process, and a focus group discussion.That data was coded and analyzed in order to answer the three research questions that guided the study. Having teachers complete the online short course and work together to design an interdisciplinary thematic unit resulted in a positive impact on 86 percent of the participant teachers’ technological pedagogical knowledge (TPK), 71 percent of the participant teachers’ technological content knowledge (TCK), and 71 percent of the participant teachers’ technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK).Contextual factors, such as access to resources and time during the day to undertake the collaborative design of instruction, were essential to this approach.The subjects shared that the collaboration with colleagues enhanced their planning and forced them reflect on how they design instruction.It also increased their awareness of technological options and improved their confidence to use technology during classroom instruction.

[发布机构] the University of Pittsburgh