Abstract
The study aims to examine the TPACK levels of preservice teachers studying in the last year of the faculty of education. The arithmetic mean and standard deviation values were computed in determining the “TPACK” self assessment levels of preservice teachers. As a result of the findings, it was concluded that the self-assessment scores of the preservice teachers about the “Pedagogical Knowledge”, “Technological Knowledge”, “Content Knowledge”, “Technological Content Knowledge”, “Technological Pedagogical Knowledge”, “Pedagogical Content Knowledge”, and “Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge” dimensions that make up the TPACK-SAS were above the average score and at a “sufficient” level in all. Recommendations can be made based on the study. More technological opportunities can be provided to education faculties and made available to teacher candidates. The importance given to pedagogy and field knowledge in education faculties should also be given to technology in a way that meets the requirements of the age.
TopIntroduction
The fundamental queries of what one needs to know and how to learn it are evolving in light of the new economic realities of today. In order to receive a certificate, students may no longer need to complete four years of rigorous on-campus university coursework; instead, they might choose to certify using online courses that are customized to meet their individual learning needs. Technology will—and already does—make it possible for people to access particular toolkits that will direct their own unique learning journeys (Baek, 2017). We should all be aware of how much technology is becoming a part of our everyday lives, both individually and collectively. It influences our perceptions of the outside world and of ourselves (Al-Kassimi, 2023;Orakcı & Karagöz, 2022). Within this context, individuals trained in a higher education institution are expected to graduate as technology literate and enter business life. It is extremely important to use technology in teaching processes, especially in order to train preservice teachers in accordance with the requirements of the age (Baya'a etal., 2017; Harris & Hofer, 2011; Sharples et al., 2016). Today, it is insufficient to provide professional development of preservice teachers with traditional methods (ISTE, 2005; Mishra & Koehler, 2006). For this reason, the use of technology in teaching processes facilitates the work of both the student and the instructor in the teaching processes due to reasons such as facilitating learning, increasing academic success, providing student motivation and attracting attention (Brinkley-Etzkorn, 2018; Canbazoğlu-Bilici, 2012; Göksün & Kurt, 2017; İlter, 2014; Sheffield, Dobozy, Gibson, Mullaney & Campbell, 2015). However, the use of technology alone as a goal in teaching processes is not sufficient for the successful implementation of education. In order to reveal the opportunities provided by technology to education and training processes, an integration model suitable for teaching objectives should be used (Archambault, Wetzel, Foulger & Kim-Williams, 2010; Georgina & Hosford, 2009; Jang & Chen, 2010). The issue of technology integration needed in teaching processes has attracted the attention of many scientists and many studies have been conducted on this subject (Archambault & Crippen, 2009; Benson & Ward, 2013; Harris & Hofer, 2011; Hew & Brush, 2007; Mishra & Koehler, 2006; Roblyer & Doering, 2010).
There are many definitions in the literature on “technology integration”. Hew and Brush (2007) defined technology integration as teachers' use of technology at every stage of the teaching process to improve students' thinking skills. On the other hand, Griffin (2003) defines this concept as the purposeful placement of educational technologies in curriculum elements while developing curricula and the conscious use of technology as a tool in the teaching processes while achieving the objectives of the course.
The fact that technology is used in the course does not mean that it is integrated. The focus of teaching with technology integration should not be technology, but the objectives and contents of the course. Technology integration is achieved when technology is used as tools that facilitate reaching these goals and contents (Griffin, 2003; Mishra & Koehler, 2006). With technology integration, students are provided to use technology as a means of structuring knowledge, rather than just using it as a course resource. In other words, technology integration in teaching is achieved by using technology not as a goal but as a tool (Agyei & Voogt, 2011; Griffin, 2003; Harris & Hofer, 2011).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Technological Knowledge: It consists of knowledge on the use of high-end digital technologies in addition to traditional technologies.
Pedagogical Content Knowledge: It is the tranformation of content knowledge into a form that students in different learning environments can best understand.
Pedagogical Knowledge: It consists of general curriculum knowledge, knowledge of teaching strategies and methods, knowledge of students' learning difficulties and knowledge of assessment, independent of any field.
Technological Content Knowledge: It is defined as a type of knowledge arising from the interdependent and mutual interaction of content and technology.
Content Knowledge: It is the knowledge within the scope of concepts and relationships between concepts related to the subject that teachers will teach.
Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge: It is teachers' knowledge of different pedagogical techniques for developing presentations of any subject area using technology in contemporary learning approaches for teaching a subject.
Technology Integration: Technology integration in education is the use of the internet, computers and interactive tools to support, enhance and innovate learning.
Technological Pedagogical Knowledge: It is a type of knowledge related to understanding how teaching and learning is changed by the use of specific technologies.