Exposure to Enactment: Assessing Preservice Teachers' Preparedness for Technology Integration

• In Event: 41.080 - What Does a Spectrum of Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) Applications Look Like?

Abstract

This mixed-methods exploratory study aims to investigate the extent to which pre-service teachers
1. Identify themselves in their role of a teacher who incorporates technology in his/her practice
2. Experienced the necessary support and training in order to integrate technology into classroom activities in order to integrate technology into classroom activities, and
3. Have developed Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK)

The Dynamic Systems Model of Role Identity (DSMRI), the Synthesis of Qualitative Evidence (SQD) model, and the Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework serve as theoretical lenses for this study. The DSMRI model conceptualizes role identity (e.g. teacher's professional role identity and motivation) as a dynamic system comprised of four components that are continuously emerging to inform motivated action. The DSMRI involves four components that underlie teacher action: (1) ontological and epistemological beliefs; (2) purpose and goals; (3) self-perceptions and self-definitions; and (4) perceived action possibilities. The framework guides teacher education programs to promote teacher identity development (e.g. teachers' identity as a teacher who teaches with technology) and resulting changes in instructional practices that are aligned with teachers' role identity (Kaplan & Garner, 2016). The SQD model provides multidimensional strategies for teacher education in technology use, particularly at the pre-service level (Tondeur et al, 2016). TPACK is a framework that describes the knowledge that teachers need in order to effectively teach with technology (Koehler & Mishra, In Press; Mishra & Koehler, 2006).

Convenience sampling was applied to obtain as big a sample size available from the pool of 579 pre-service teachers enrolled (on-campus and online) in the program. Data was collected (on-going) online using a Google survey form that was circulated across the program. The survey included questions about participants’ background (e.g. number of technology integration courses completed). The survey also included a 7-item DSMRI trigger activity (Kaplan & Garner, 2016) that required participants to reflect on their role as a future teacher who incorporates technology in his/her practice. For instance, " What must happen for someone in yourrole to be successful?." A 22-item 6 point Likert scale instrument developed based on the SQD model (Tondeur et al., 2016) was also integrated in the survey. It
consisted of items measuring pre-service teacher's experiences related to the inner circle in the SQD model (e.g. learning how to use technology by design). Laslty, the survey consisted of 46 five –point Likert scaled items measuring core constructs of TPACK from the Survey of Pre-service Teachers' Knowledge of Teaching and Technology (Schmidt et al., 2009).

Preliminary findings from 11 female participants (five graduate and six undergraduate) reveal that they reflecting on their role as a teacher who integrates technology revealed the discrepancies in their beliefs. Only two participants strongly agreed that they could teach lessons that appropriately combine my area of specialization, technologies and teaching approaches. Eight participants were neutral about whether they received help to use technology when developing educational materials. Conclusions will include recommendations for future inquiry (e.g. programmatic changes) that ensure alignment between exposure and enactment of technology integration for teachers.

Authors

• Mamta Shah, Drexel University

• Sarah Ulrich, Drexel University